


Shards of Love

by Hip_Neptune



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (1993), Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Betrayal, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Multi, Partner Betrayal, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-06-12 16:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 86,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15344331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hip_Neptune/pseuds/Hip_Neptune
Summary: After Mario and Peach get married, Peach gets kidnapped by the Koopalings without Bowser knowing. As she escapes from Bowser's Castle, she finds out disturbing facts about the people close to her. When the Koopas' past comes back to haunt them all, Peach's now forced to fight for good with her archenemies... But she may longer see the Koopas as enemies. MxP, BxP, LxD.





	1. Shard I: Wedding of the Century

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach gets married to Mario. Meanwhile, due to what they interpret as Bowser's feeling of defeat, the Koopalings hatch a plan to kidnap the Princess.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

_"I started low, but I've gotten high up, and I can only get higher. I'm tired of pretending to be loyal; dependable. The wolf inside me demands to destroy the outer sheep surrounding it; everyone will see the true me. The hunger for the status I most desire grew at a gradual pace throughout the years, and the now-insatiable craving must be satisfied before my inner wolf breaks free from its flowery confines. It must happen now, even if it takes breaking everything else I have. Friends. Family. Peace. Immortality. Love. I will tear anything to shreds in return for my desire, and I'll cast the now-useless shards into the dark, eternal sea of hopelessness."_

_\- Medieval Koopa Lore_

* * *

**Shard I:** **Foundations**

_Peach and Mario marry, but what should've been a happy day is instead marred by Peach's surprise kidnapping by the Koopalings. Now, what should've been a relaxing vacation instead turns into an ill-fated stay at Bowser's Castle._

* * *

**Chapter I**

**Wedding of the Century: A Bride's Stress**

* * *

Dawn approaches the eastern Mushroom Kingdom, converting the grey-and-black sky into one of orange, yellow and blue. As the Sun shoots down every sign of nighttime, the residents of the eastern lands of Giant Land, Water Land, Grass Land, Sky Land and the Mushroom Province reveal themselves from their ramparts. For the residents, today's no ordinary day. Everywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom, businesses remain closed and thousands of citizens dance in the streets, all with huge grins implanted on their faces. Blaring trumpets boom throughout the Kingdom while happy citizens shout out multiple 'Hooray!'s. Today's celebrations marks the day when Princess Peach marries her hero and longtime friend, Mario.

However, behind the castle's walls, anxiety, rather than excitement, rings throughout the air and bounces off the elegant rose walls. Stress oozes out from every crevice present in the elegant marble floors like a foul odour. The stress accumulates into the minds of everyone; even the dainty Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom appears prone to the unwanted condition. Although lounging in the comfort of the pink walls, the queen-sized bed and the stained-glass window making up her bedroom, Peach still worries about the general turnout of the wedding.

"Are you excited, girl?" Daisy questioned Peach in her light Sarasalandian country accent. Several of Peach's servants and her best friend Daisy crowd around her to get her wedding dress ready.

"I've been waiting for this day since forever!" Peach stated in weak excitement. It's not that she hates Mario—no, far from it. Peach, like her mother, is a perfectionist; she fears even a pesky housefly will ruin her special day. In an instant, she begins muttering in doubt, "I'm just scared, Daisy."

Daisy scowls before plumping up her orange dress; being Peach's maid of honor rather than a normal bridesmaid, Daisy bears a special orange dress rather than the typical white of the others. Despite wanting the bridesmaids donning pink a few months ago, Peach instead changed her mind and required them to bear white dresses; she wanted the less-formal pink dress gig to be her own. As for the Maid of Honor, she wanted to leave the choice of colour to Daisy.

"Scared of what?"

"I'm just... Well, nervous over the entire thing. What if something goes wrong? All the citizens will eat it up within seconds; they won't respect me the same again! It'll be a late April Fool's joke in their minds!"

Peach didn't look at Daisy's face, but she can tell Daisy's still scowling at her. Despite the two being inseparable best friends, Daisy never hesitates to dish out well-deserved negativity towards Peach or her thoughts whenever she deems it necessary. Peach always knows she can count on Daisy whenever she has problems requiring honesty and a bit of opinion. Unlike the typical suck-up-to-Peach-because-she's-the-ruler-of-the-Mushroom-Kingdom folks, Daisy's always been more down-to-earth with her opinions, praises and criticism.

"Peach. Nothing will go wrong; don't fret," Daisy attempts to comfort the princess, "Now you just try to relax while we wait for your mum to help fix your makeup. Don't cry either; it's hard to put eyeliner on wetness, and I also suck at swimming while in a dress! I thought the tears from the sinners at Church were deep enough to drown in!"

Still in anguish, Peach peers down at the wedding invitation she saved out for archival reasons. The comforting vinyl feel of the card on her fingertips gives her a rush of comfort as she brushes over the card's edge. Rubbing the card, Peach studies the picture in the centre of the invitation. In the picture, Peach holds a sceptre, and both she and Mario show off elegant, gold crowns. Peach smiles at the picture, then focuses her attention to the text on the right of the invitation. The text, written in a gold-coloured elegant font, reads: _'King Toadstool and Queen Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Princess Peach Toadstool, to her hero, Mario Mario. The ceremony will be at 1PM on April 18 in the Castle's Courtyard, followed by a reception at 5PM.'_

 _'Now,'_ Peach laments to herself, _'April 18 has approached, and 1PM approaches rapidly.'_ Although the fourteenth hour of the day advances from the future to the present at full tilt, Peach still couldn't believe that today is her day. With almost no time for mental preparation, the sudden epiphany of her getting wedded tortures her all day.

"PEACH!" the Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom hollers at her daughter as the ruling royal walks into the room. With butterflies still swarming in her stomach, Peach puts down the invitation and looks away from the partying kingdom on the other side of the window. The Queen appears ready for her daughter's wedding; the monarch already rocks a white bridesmaid gown, a silver, gem-plated tiara and a huge ring. Seeing Peach, the Queen pulls back her silvery-blonde hair and smiles.

"Mother!" Peach called out, leaving the circle of her servants and giving her mum a hug. In return, the Queen gives Peach a warm, comforting hug in return.

"Oh, Peach darling; my grown up girl..." the Queen replied in a hushed whisper. The two of them then pull apart from the hug and the Queen states, "We need to get you ready for your marriage!"

Peach's mum opens one of the table's drawers. An entire beautician store's worth of makeup greets the royals: gold eyeliner, silver mascara, peach foundation powder, a bit of blue eyeshadow, red lipstick and several other colours of makeup stuffed into the magnificent drawer. Without organising the cluster of makeup in any way, the Queen pulls out the drawer from its hinges and dumps the contents onto the makeup table. As Queen Toadstool grabs the foundation powder and applies it to Peach's face, Daisy attempts to put on Peach's eyeliner while a servant does her lipstick.

' _Oh great,'_ Peach mutters to herself as several pairs of waving arms surround her face, each one threatening to make a potential mistake on the bride. Peach already knows by the buildup of her stress that this is going to be a long, tiring day.

* * *

Despite the cheerful attitudes in the seven Lands of the Mushroom Kingdom, not every leader in every kingdom took the news of Peach's marriage to Mario in a positive fashion. In Dark Land...

"Why is King Dad so sad?" Lemmy questioned his siblings. He, Ludwig, Roy, Wendy, Iggy and Larry sit by the battle room's door, eavesdropping on the occurring activities on the other side. In the room, the Koopalings sense Bowser's voice raising a bit, followed by a more comforting voice from Kamek.

"Imagine zis, Lemuel," started Ludwig, "Your favorite ball has been stolen by Mario. He zen locked it up in a safe. How vould you feel?"

"Sad! I would do everything I can to break into the safe and get it back! I LOVE my ball!" Lemmy cried. The normally happy Koopaling weeps at the summoned imagination, much to the joy of Ludwig. The Koopaling's never depressed, even though one can nominate him as the most bullied of the Koopalings. At school, people always made fun of Lemmy's shrimpy height, often mocking him whenever he reaches for something. Others would shun him because he was too 'annoying' or too 'immature' for them. At first, such negative actions bothered Lemmy, but after years of the grueling experiences, he's got to—strangely—liking the verbal bullying. Him being different from his peers made Lemmy accept the fact that he's unique and one-of-a-kind.

 _'At least Lemmy knows how heartache feels like now,'_ Ludwig thought. After his self-statement, the eldest Koopaling then explains to Lemmy, "Vell, zat is vhat's happening vith King Dad. Mario stole Peach from him and is... Vell, in a sense, 'locking' her up from Dad by marrying her."

"Yeah! We should do something to stop this! Like seriously!" Wendy announced to her present siblings. Wendy wants something from her father; that fact flashes on her forehead like a neon sign in Mushroom City. The only time she cares enough to do something for someone is when she expects something in return. "Do we want Daddykins to be all mopey today? We'll seriously get nothing we want!"

Roy nods his head at the idea and replies, "Great idea, Sis. Should we be crashing da weddin' or whateva?"

"Yes!" Iggy replied in a demented, sinister shout, "I have a machine that can make people fall asleep! I shall use it and become THE BEST SCIENTIST EVER! Ahahahahaha!"

Lately, Iggy has been experiencing some... Well, personal issues dealing with his self-esteem. He, like Lemmy, sits at the bottom of the social ladder, but unlike Lemmy, he grasps for the top. He always wishes that he was sane enough to come out as a useful member of society, rather than a psychopath whose only professional suit he'll wear is a straitjacket. Rather than physically or socially improving himself to reach the top, Iggy decided to use his wits to impress everyone with his inventions. Maybe his physical and social skills will catch up to his mental skills afterwards.

Wendy and Roy smile at Iggy's announcement while Ludwig and Lemmy ponder over the whole situation. However, the normally-reticent youngest Koopaling pipes up his concerns on the idea.

"I don't know guys... Remember the last time we launched a surprise attack on the Mushroom Kingdom? The time when we kidnapped the Princess by causing the castle to experience a blackout? Yeah, King Dad wasn't happy on that one..."

"Lawrence. Zat vas because ve kidnapped her in plain sight. Ve von't make zat mistake again. I know you're concerned, but you have to trust me on zis vun. I am ze eldest Koopaling, so I am ze most trained vhen it comes to snatching the Princess. I've attended battle meetings. I did several zings zat ze five of you never did in your lifetimes."

"Well..." Larry is still reluctant to the entire idea, "I guess..."

"Plus, ze castle has lots of coins-"

At the mentioning of the word 'Coins', Larry's eyes nearly bulge out of his head. Larry may be a little sneak, but even the youngest koopaling can be held hostage over the thought of coins. Larry would do anything to get even one coin, and that fact worries Ludwig and his family, even if they can use Larry's lust for coins to their own advantage. Just how far will Larry's greed take him, and what will the consequences be?

"Coins?!" the youngest Koopaling shouted, giving Ludwig a look that seems to be saying ' _duh'_ , "I'm in!"

"Aight," Roy took command of the situation before Ludwig can open his mouth, "We do things we're beasts at. Lar can spy on da weddin', Sis and Lemster can distract da others, Iggs can use some nerdy, freaky machine thing ta protect all of us. I can den kidnap da Princess and Kooky here can drive da Doomship-"

"Uh uh uh, Roy," Ludwig objected, "Remember: I'm ze oldest; I'm in command here. Now, I barely noticed zat ve vill miss ze vedding, but ze Princess vill have a reception. Ve can snatch her zen. Larry, spy on ze reception. Lemuel and Vendy, distract ze reception goers. Ignatius, if you can use zat machine zat causes ze entire audience to fall asleep, I vill appreciate zat. Roy can zen snatch the Princess while I drive the doomship."

"Das what I said, Kooky!"

"I'm in charge zough, so my vords matter more."

Since Ludwig's the oldest Koopaling, the title of the Crown Prince has been bestowed on him at a young age. Ever since then, Ludwig took his title as a synonym for 'Alpha Male' and he'll often make himself the most important member of any Bowser-free gathering. He despises the times when someone else snatches control of a situation, especially another 'Alpha Male' challenger like Roy.

"Rrrrrr..." the burly Koopaling growled, "No wonder why Morton declined to do anything involvin' you... You're so damn stuck-up!"

"Roy... Ze only time I vill deal vith your crap is vhen ve are snatching Father's treasure. But for now, I vill not be taking it. Depart hence from me. Now."

"Fine, whateva. I'm done with YOUR crap, Luddy. You constantly treat da rest of us like we're damn second-class citizens! Newsflash, lil' Xerox, without us, you wouldn't be Pop's little pet! Peace out, sibs, I'm done with dis trash."

Wendy stares at Roy as he stomps away, obviously peeved off. She then turns back to Ludwig and glares at him. As stuck-up as she is, she knows the true value of teamwork and the positive consequences it brings.

"Like, seriously, Ludwig? What was that about?! We're supposed to be a team and have Peach captured! I can totally feel my trip to Europe on my fingertips for grabbing her!"

"Leave it be, Kootie Pie. Don't fan ze flames; zey'll only grow. Roy'll get out of his hissy fit," the eldest Koopaling stated, brushing off every concern raised by his sister. He then stands up and puts his hand on the battle room's doorknob, "Now all of you, get ready. I'll need to tell Father about somezing."

* * *

Several minutes after the invasion of Peach's face by various makeup tools, Peach finds herself behind the closed doors to the courtyard with her father, the King. From the other side of the door, the marrying princess can hear an orchestra's music, a bit of chatter and a microphone being tested out. The excitement occurring on the other side had Peach... well, anxious and nervous over the entire situation. Despite Peach being the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, she hasn't experienced an event THIS exciting in years. Most of her life consists of either mushroom balls, participating in spin-off games or being kidnapped by multiple villains, Bowser included. All in all, other than a date with Mario thrown in, her weeks are—well, stressful, sucky and sophisticated. And to think people envied her title as Princess.

' _Call me paranoid but...'_ Peach thought, _'Something tells me that this wedding will not go completely scot-free.'_

At the realization of a mistake, Peach's legs start to tremble, causing her wedding dress to produce a shuffling noise. Noticing the sound, her father looks over at her. Rather than displaying a look or action of concern, Peach's father instead gives her a bewildered stare.

"Peach?" the Mushroom King questioned.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Just a bit nervous," Peach admitted, her dress still creating the crumpling noise from her tremors. Her father nods his head, then gives his daughter a facial expression as if telling her that he's about to drift off in a ten-thousand-year-long slumber.

"Tell me about it... I'm missing the PGA tournament. I'm so nervous about turning on the television and seeing who won... I am taping it though, so that's good, right?"

"Uhh, sure?" Peach added with a confused look on her face. _'I thought this conversation was going to be about me and this day, not about some tournament of golf... Let me ask him again.'_

After her thoughts, Peach then questions her father.

"But what do you feel about my wedding?"

"Well, not as interesting as golf, I'll tell you that!" her father guffawed. Feeling some perspiration underneath his mushroom cap, The King takes it off then wipes some of the sweat off with a handkerchief, "Woo! I sure hope the PGA results aren't displayed on any of them Sports channels! Makes King Toady all nervous!"

Peach sighs; she will not be getting any help or sympathy from him any time soon. Then again, who would give her sympathy? Maybe Daisy is right—perhaps she just needs to kick back, relax, maybe do some meditation while listening to classical music—just anything.

_'Might as well let him lament over stupid golf while his daughter sits here nearly wetting her wedding dress in anxiety.'_

As she forms a look of dejection on her face, the doors to the ceremony open and two mushroom guards step into the room, the two of them wearing little tuxedos to match the formal attire of the programme. Seeing the guards dressed up like civilians rather than the typical clanky armour notorious with the typical guards, Peach silently voices a prayer of gratitude to the Stars. As much as she feels safe with bloodthirsty, intimidating guards as her first line of defence, all Peach wants is a decent, civilized and modern wedding rather than a wedding full of kidnappings, armour and other medieval-aged ideas.

"Your Majesty," one of the guards spoke up, "It's time to walk your daughter down the aisle."

Nodding his head as if silently stating _'Anything to get this over with',_ Peach's father locks his bent arm with hers. Elbow-to-elbow they walk down the red carpet, slowly but steadily making their way to the altar where Toadsworth waits for them with patience. Peach nervously looks away from the altar and catches sight of Birdo throwing flower pedals in front of the father-daughter walk, as well as several rows of folding chairs, all of them packed with eager wedding watchers.

As Peach and her father continue to approach the altar, and with Peach still focusing her attention anywhere but the altar, the orchestra starts to play multiple wedding songs such as _The Wedding Canon_ and _Here Comes the Bride._ The beautiful music, as well as the sight of Mario in a red-colored tux, causes Peach to experience even more butterflies than ever before.

 _'This is it!'_ Peach stated to herself, _'The day when Mario becomes my husband, my Prince, my everything.'_

Still, she admits to herself, she cannot believe the day of her marrying Mario has now approached. Ever since he first rescued her from the clutches of Bowser, Peach knew he was the one, but she didn't know that they will get married this soon. Peach is just happy that she is marrying Mario rather than a half-wit, self-absorbed idiot such as Prince Haru.

_'Mario... Well, he didn't seem like the one favouring commitment, but at the same time, I think he does try hard whenever it is tossed at him.'_

When the father-daughter duo approach the first row of folding chairs, Peach's father lets go of her arm. With her entire body quaking, the princess attempts to focus all her energy into moving her feet up each of the three stairs towards the altar, one white high heel after another...

Peach makes it up the stairs with no incident, and stands face-to-face with none other than Mario. Seeing a grin appear on his face, Peach smiles back at him before Toadsworth goes on with the vows.

"Mario, read your vows."

The red plumber then takes out a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolds it. He then glances at the handwriting present on the sheet and reads them out loud.

"I, Mario Mario, take you, Princess Peach Toadstool, to be my lawfully wedded wife, princess and damsel in distress. For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, or if Bowser ever rules the Mushroom Kingdom. I promise to honor and cherish you. This I vow to you."

Hearing his vows, Peach successfully holds back her giggling. Toadsworth then pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to Peach. Silently thanking him, Peach unfolds the paper, revealing the vows she wrote earlier and gave to Toadsworth for safekeeping. She then reads the words on the paper loud enough for the entire audience to hear.

"I, Princess Peach Toadstool, take you, Mario Mario, to be my lawfully wedded husband. For sickness, in health, for 99 lives, for only two lives, for richer, for poorer—even though I am the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom so we'll never be poor," she read, adding the last line to try to match the humor that Mario's vows have. Her last minute punchline seems to be a success, as the members of the audience let out little giggles, "This I vow to you."

Peach then grabs Mario's gloved hand with her hand. Both of them stare into the eyes of each other, mesmerised. Looking into Mario's eyes, Peach can imagine every terrain he'd gone through to save her. Perpetual plains, deathly deserts, frigid floes and massive mountains are only some of the landscapes she can sense in Mario's azure eyes. Their trance breaks when Toadsworth announces the final verdict.

"Mario, you may now kiss your bride."

The entire audience claps as Mario leans towards Peach and gives her a kiss. As their lips meet, pure feelings of happiness and ecstasy wash over Peach. While it lasted, Peach felt as if she can bench press Saturn with one hand: she felt nothing but the feelings of invincibility coursing through her veins. Not only has her wedding gone without incident, but she's now married to her longtime hero! That one kiss—that amazing, sentimental kiss—confirms that her longterm goal has been reached.

The newly-wedded couple break away from the kiss and stand side by side. With her left hand gripping Mario's right, the now-married princess lifts up her right hand and waves to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet your newly-wedded couple, Princess Peach Toadstool and Prince Mario Mario!" Toadsworth announced. The crowd then stands up and every member of the audience bows to them. Both of them continue to wave to the crowd with their free hands.

As the crowd bows to the new couple, Peach catches sight of her mother, who appears to be crying—most likely tears of joy. She then stares at her father; he is staring into space with a goofy smile on his face, oblivious to whatever celebrations are occurring. Probably playing golf with other political figures in his mind. The bliss emotion on his face may also imply the course having endless sun, vast areas of gently-sloping hills and a never-ending supply of spare tees.

Seeing her non-responsive father, Peach sighs as she stares at her newly-wedded husband. _'Husband'_ she thought to herself, _'This will take some getting used to... hehe!'_

"Father still not showing any signs of life, eh?" Mario questioned. Peach then shook her head in anguish.

"Nope... Let's just get ready for the reception..."

* * *

 


	2. A Mastermind's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although married, Peach still cannot comprehend her new reality. As she waits for her reception, in which Larry's spying on, one group of Koopalings brew up another plan for the heist while the other's determined to see the prior group fail.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard I: Foundations**

* * *

**Chapter II**

**A Mastermind's Plan**

* * *

Two hours later, empty chairs and flower petals litter the abandoned area, and the once-bustling, rambunctious area now only boasts a few toad servants. The servants rearrange chairs, set up the wedding arch and clean up the area, striving to turn the disaster area into a beautiful, serene area for the reception.

Despite the uninteresting circumstances, Larry Koopa hides behind an untamed, wild bush, spying on the servants. Not wanting to heighten suspicion or unwanted curiosity from the servants, Larry sneaks towards the courtyard, bush by bush, careful not to make even an inaudible sound. As the castle's courtyard lacks barriers in any way unlike the rest of the castle grounds, the task of spying proves to be simple for the Mohawked Koopaling.

The entire Mushroom Kingdom knows about Larry and his spying; he's been doing it for at least a decade. Almost every plan of Bowser's involves Larry spying, whether Larry himself listens at a window or the sneaky Koopaling bugs someone or something else. Although the Mario Brothers always remain on alert for Larry, the sneaky bugger always remains one step ahead of the red-and-green faucet-fixers, often snatching useful and confidential information about the Mushroom Kingdom long before the wretched brothers become aware of his presence. Unlike those important, high-risk tasks, spying on a currently Mario-free reception preparation is a piece of cake for the self-proclaimed 'Emperor of Eavesdropping'.

"They're setting up for the big event!" Larry whispered to himself before pulling out a walkie-talkie, "Ludwig! Are the others ready?"

There is a bit of a pause after Larry releases the TALK button. Ludwig always answers walkie-talkie messages the slowest, but still, even potentially urgent calls like this one should be answered immediately. As Larry's about to call up Ludwig again, the oldest Koopaling answers back.

"I vill get zem veady incase zey aren't. How's ze conditions over zere? Ze Princess out? Over."

"Nah. Not yet. The reception won't start until a few hours from now. Meanwhile, I have a false mushroom costume I can wear to blend in with the guests, but I don't have hair gel to put down my hair. Know of any good places to buy some? Over."

"Negative, Lawrence," declined Ludwig, "Don't do zat; ve vant to keep low profile. Ve don't vant ze 'Fire Flower' issue to pop up again, or rather, pop 'OFF'. Awhehehahwhahe!"

Ludwig still remembers the last time the sneaky Koopaling tried to use the disguise. It's worse enough for Larry that Ludwig brings that story up every chance he gets, but factor in the crazed Koopaling's annoying laugh and it's a downright insult. The 'Fire Flower' event was the time when Larry wanted to buy fire flower seeds to grow them. Although fire flowers are a commonly used spice in Dark Land, the land itself, save for Larry's greenhouse, lacks the correct nutrients to nurture the blood-red-blossoming plants. Since they're tough to grow in the Darklands, store owners in Bowser's kingdom never bother to sell them.

Wanting to buy some seeds that Dark Land doesn't have, Larry put on the disguise to buy some seeds from neighboring Pipe Land, but unfortunately for the Koopaling, the Mario Brothers were there to dedicate a pipe of some sort at the Pipe Maze. Long story short, Larry's abrasive hairstyle caused the mushroom cap to pop off, the Mario Brothers caught sight of who he was, then they sent Larry home with deep gashes, terrible bruises and a broken arm. Thinking of the painful and humiliating memory, Larry shudders.

"Roger, I guess that's true; I don't want a repeat with the fire flowers, because YOU will always bother me with any new story. Anyway, the lousy peasants are just setting up the reception. I'll hook you up with some new details when I get them. Larry out."

Larry puts his walkie-talkie in his shell and continues staring at the servants, mesmerized by their organized movements. Two servants prop up multiple tables, three servants inflate white and pink balloons for the balloon arch and two more set up chairs. None of the servants cared about the littered pedals all over the courtyard's granite floors. Even with no servant cleaning up the mess, the servants still move in a harmonious fashion, and all Larry can think of is that... He wants that for his siblings, too. If only they also moved harmoniously with each other, rather than against, then Dark Land would have won this age-old battle years ago.

"Nothing new going on," Larry muttered, "I would dress in my disguise, but I guess the best option is to wait here—Ludwig'll kill me if this plan goes anywhere near wrong. Speaking of, I wonder how our catch is doing right now."

* * *

"I-I-I'm married..." Peach murmured, sitting in a chair in her bedroom. She didn't hate being married to Mario—nowhere near that. Her life just... changed. Here she is, married to the one person who endured terrifying terrains, vicious vermin and Bowser's bashings for almost two decades, all just to rescue either her or allies to the Mushroom Kingdom. Though he has always been committed into shorter-term events such as saving the day, commitment towards a long-term situation like marriage seemed almost taboo to the plumber. Still, she's happy that Mario accepted this commitment; throughout all these years, her love for him grew and blossomed. Now they will never be separated from each other, and they can spend the rest of their hopefully adventure-filled lives together. "I'm really married."

Towards the end of her mumblings, Daisy and Toadette enter the room, both wearing the dresses they wore at the wedding. Daisy rocks the scene in her orange dress and matching high heels while Toadette appears just as stunning in her white gown typical to that of the other bridesmaids.

"You are married, chica!" the Sarasalandian Princess squealed, obviously showing pure excitement for her royal friend. Although she cannot see Daisy, Peach forces a smile on her face.

As she fools around with her mushroom-tied pigtails, Toadette smiles, nods, then offers her accolade, "Congratulations, Peach!"

"Thanks, you two..." Peach murmured, still in a daze, "I'm just... well... You know..."

"Still shocked? Girl, you better snap out of it! You have the rest of your life figured out!" replied Daisy in a borderline sassy tone. Peach breaks into a true smile when she hears her friend's harsh yet helping words.

"Thanks a lot, Daisy. I'm thankful for your words, I really am. You helped me a TON during this time, but I was just thinking... What if..."

"What if what?" Toadette questioned in curiosity. Peach turns her gaze away from the window, focusing her attention from the bustling city below to the pink mushroom. In a way, Peach wants to regurgitate her thoughts onto her friends, but at the same time, she feels as if they've heard enough of her panicking. Eying her fungus friend, the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom utters a dramatic sigh. Perhaps they are right, and she just needs to lay off the Worry Juice or whatever. Still, things could go wrong... Right?

"Nevermind, you two. Just... I'm thinking much more than I should at the moment. This entire marriage thing hasn't sunk in-"

Peach then turns her head back towards the window, once again eying the crowds below. Nothing changed much, except for a gathering group of mushroomers holding a sign saying, 'Peach and Mario forever!' Looking at the sign, Peach begins to blush.

"I need to get used to it. I need to get used to this phase of life and practice being a great Queen for when the time comes. The people down there; they need me. My parents; they need me. Lastly, Mario; he needs me. Everyone needs me to be a terrific Queen one day, and I should worry about that more than I should about a wedding that already happened!"

Hearing Peach admittance, Daisy does a little cheery jump despite wearing a dress, "That's the spirit, gal! The reception starts in an hour and a half, and when it does, I want you to rock that courtyard like an earthquake! Like a 10.0 earthquake! Well, maybe more like a 4.0 so you won't destroy anything, you know. But still! Be an earthquake, girl!"

Peach smiles at Daisy's comparison; she finds worrying about anything to be impossible around that woman. It's as if Daisy understands every problem Peach has, then goes as far as providing exceptional advice to not only disintegrate the original problem but to find a working, plausable and acceptable solution.

"I see you smiling! It's a great sight to see! Now keep that planted on your face; the residents here need a happy and smiling Peach!"

"I'll remember that, Daisy. Thanks so much for the help!" Peach thanked, looking away from the window yet again. She then looks down at the pink mushroom girl, who seems to be looking into space as she plays with her pigtails. "Toadette. Be a huge help to me and observe the servants setting up the reception. I know it's none of my business now, but I need to know when to get prepared. Also, my parents and I would hate if the servants take longer than scheduled."

Toadette snaps out of her trance and curtsies. Toadette seems to act as if she heard Peach's entire command, but the way she jumped back into reality proved that the pink mushroomer didn't pay any sort of attention.

"W-W-what—I mean o-okay, Princess. At your service!"

Toadette curtsied again and nervously dashes out of the room, not daring to question what Peach commanded. Peach sighs as she yet again turns away from Daisy and stares out of the window at the growing crowd. Though they cannot see nor hear her, the fact does not prevent Peach from muttering a few, fear-ridden words towards everyone.

"I hope I do a great job for all of you..."

* * *

Back in Dark Land, Ludwig, Iggy, Wendy and Lemmy enter a mysterious room tucked in an unexplored portion in the east wing of Kastle Koopa. Sunlight, an uncommon sight in the Darklands, seeps into the unidentified room, which in turn reveals an elongated blue table. About thirty cyan office chairs space around the table, and a few portraits of Bowser litter the room. Due to its isolation from the daily cares of their father, the Koopalings found this place to be a terrific setting to have a conspiracy or another form of a rendezvous. Several plans, such as allowing the Koopalings to return to invasions and brainstorming ways to obtain more money, have all been conceived by the siblings in this room.

The quartet explores the room, inspecting every corner, edge, and side of the interior for any microphones, video cameras or other spy gear. Noting the lack of bugged devices, the four mischievous children of Bowser make their way towards one end of the table and occupy the chairs close to the end. Ludwig, proclaiming himself to be the Crown Prince of Dark Land to his other siblings, seats himself at the head of the table.

"All right, Roy dropped out of our plan and joined Morton into doing vhatever, so ve are going to have a bit of a change in our plans to prevent the two from stopping us..." the Prince addressed his 'cabinet' members. The three others have questions, such as 'what is the new plan?' and 'why are you so paranoid, Ludwig?' but Ludwig dismisses them as he continues with his speech. "I vill continue on first, zen I vill answer questions. You see, Roy decided to be against us, as vell as Morton. Larry seems to be on our side still, but you know how easily persuaded he is vith money, and you know how close he's been with zose two also. Roy, Morton and Larry make up the Unholy Trinity, after all; committing crimes together."

Unfortunately for Ludwig, his sister decides to interrupt him during his speech. "Same with me. I hate you, Ludwig, but I hate Roy even more. His STUPID pranks he does to me and his, like, existence as a whole pisses me off. Anything against Roy and I totally support it. But other than that, I'm seriously only doing this for my trip to Europe. Like seriously, who will waste their precious time doing something totally stupid like this?"

"Excuse me, my spoiled-as-ever sister, I am in ze middle of my speech. I demand zat you show courtesy to me, as none of zis vill have happen vithout ze brilliant zoughts of mine. Anyvay, ze four of us can accomplish zis feat. Zis can be confirmed true vith my new plan."

Ludwig then pulls out a piece of paper from his shell, with each of the four Koopaling's names written on it. Under each name is a paragraph of text explaining a part of the plan that each Koopaling must do to capture the Princess.

"Here, I have your assignments. I typed zem due to potential Larryesque spying," Ludwig explained as he rips up the piece of paper into four separate strips, each addressed to a unique Koopaling, "Please review zem."

After his instructions, the oldest Koopaling passes out each paper to Wendy, Iggy and Lemmy, then keeps the fourth for himself.

 _'Hmm,'_ Lemmy thought, _'Weird that Ludwig gave us papers rather than speaking orders to us. Well umm I guess I'll read this."_

The short, ball-riding Koopaling then looks down at his paper, examining the bold letters present.

**Lemmy: Stay home and keep King Dad entertained. Dad cannot know about this situation, as this feat is going to be a surprise. I know you are the King of Entertainment, and I want you to use that skill to prevent Dad from noticing that we all are gone.**

Seeing his task not require him leaving the castle, Lemmy grins. The Koopaling hates going on kidnapping missions; he'd rather have fun than to go out and kidnapping helpless bimbos from their citadels. Take the time the family was in Antarctica a few years back to 'melt' it with millions of hairdryers. Every Koopaling, save for two, participated in that task in some way. Morton took a fever-inducing potion and pretended to be sick, so he wouldn't have to go to a cold place, while Lemmy, although he did go, did nothing but build snowmen and entertain them.

"I accept this task, Ludwig! You can always count on me!" the fun-loving Koopaling screeched in full-on excitement. Not only is this task easy, but it will also be fun for him! Ludwig smiles at the obedience of Lemmy.

"Good to hear-" the eldest Koopaling attempted to continue. However, his now-excited younger brother interrupts him.

"I can show him how to ride on a ball! Do you think he'll fit on it?! Or will he squish it?! Maybe if he doesn't then I'll put on a ball-riding show for him!"

During Lemmy's speech, Ludwig sucks in a huge amount of air. As Lemmy continues, Ludwig appears as if he's going to burst into an explosion of harsh and tangled words. This behavior happens all the time whenever Bowser's not present at a meeting and Ludwig holds the reins. Either Lemmy goes on a full-on trip of excitement such as now, Wendy throws an ear-shattering tantrum, Morton breaks out into an hour speech on a stupid topic such as why cucumbers are used for pickles rather than zucchinis, or Roy beats up someone due to boredom. Don't forget the times when Larry tries to snatch someone else's wallet or when Iggy breaks out in a sudden fit of maniacal laughter as he holds up an invention. Normally Ludwig would have more patience, but this meeting's about discussing an important, confidential matter. The fact that Bowser, Morton, Roy, the Mushroom Kingdom, and even Larry cannot know about it makes this meeting even more critical.

"I have to practice-"

"LEMUEL KOOPA!" Ludwig seethed, somehow unleashing a lungful of air through clenched teeth. Hearing the sudden uproar and witnessing the unleashed act of anger, Lemmy immediately silences himself and expresses a scared look. "Refrain from interrupting me!"

"S-s-sorry Luddy-"

"Shh. Let me speak now, Lemuel," commanded Ludwig, glaring at Lemmy afterwards, "Anyway. Ignatius, do you agree to your mission?"

Snapping out of a trance, Iggy looks down at his piece of paper. Initially, he was disappointed about being forcibly dragged from his invention-filled hallucination, but he grins a bit more as he reads the written words on his sliver of paper.

**Iggy: Your duty is to put the Princess to sleep. How? It doesn't matter. Make sure that the slumber is long enough for her to try to not wake up and try to escape, yet short enough that she wakes up soon after arriving at the castle. After putting her to sleep, MAKE SURE that you leave her in the room so that I, Ludwig, can grab her. Meanwhile, run as fast as you can to the Doomship.**

After reading the prompt, the mad scientist then nods his head in happiness, full-on accepting the plan. Like Lemmy, this plan also comes easy for Iggy, as he has several machines that expel gases such as nitrous oxide that can knock out someone within seconds. Even if such machines do not function as expected, he always has his magic wand. Hopefully Ludwig won't take credit for the laughing gas invention as he did everything else.

Ludwig got credit for building every doomship, although that isn't true. Iggy built his and Lemmy's, while Ludwig built Larry's, Morton's, Wendy's, Roy's, King Dad's and his own. Because Iggy's and Lemmy's have the more-powerful liquid hydrogen as their fuel rather than jet fuel like the others, any waste from the liquid hydrogen get incinerated by bullet bill launchers. This resulted in a long flame expelling from the launcher rather than bullet bills, and the two less-violent Koopalings decided to have only those on their ships rather than cannonballs and bullet bills.

 _'Either way,'_ Iggy thought soon after, _'I need to just go with it until opportunity knocks at my door.'_

After these thoughts, the young Koopaling nods his head, ready to take the command head-on.

"I accept, Ludwig. I won't renege."

"Great to hear, Iggy," Ludwig smiled, "Now Vendy, vhat about you?"

"What about me what?"

With both his teeth and his fists clenched, Ludwig stands up and faces Wendy. Ludwig may be a reasoning, logical individual, but even he goes irrational when filled with rage. There are times when Ludwig unintentionally set a room in the castle on fire due to him releasing a fireball in rage; Bowser always hated how incendiary his castle appears to be from these sudden spouts of Ludwig's anger.

"Your... Bloody... ASSIGNMENT?!"

"Oh, that stupid thing. Like, I didn't read it. Seriously, I'm a Millennial; we don't read," Wendy replied in a harsh tone. Seeing that she got a text, she then opens her phone and a huge paragraph greets her. Before she can read it, Ludwig snatches the phone from her and throws it at the wall. The phone shatters into dozens of pieces.

"Vell? Do you agree?"

Seeing her phone destroyed, Wendy clenches her fists and puts her forehead against Ludwig's, easily matching his level of wrath.

"You... are TOTALLY LUCKY that you are Daddy's little roach!" Wendy spat in rage, "Nobody. I mean NOBODY, throws my phone at the wall, dude! Seriously, who do you think you are touching MY PHONE?! I totally had a TEXT to read!"

"I zought Millennials don't read, Vendy?" Ludwig mocked, "I vas helping out your lazy, spoiled shell. Vhere's my zank you?"

"UGH! I seriously can't stand you right now!" roared Wendy. She then pulls her face away from his and plops herself onto her seat.

"Don't care, my spoiled sister. Read ze instructions now."

"Seriously, you're, like, still on that subject? You're totally stupid! Ugh! Whatever! Give me the paper for me to read."

Rolling his eyes, Ludwig takes Wendy's piece of paper from her side of the table then gives it to her. Wendy gives a smart-aleck grin as she starts to read.

**Wendy: Stand far from the reception and let out the loudest scream you can utter. This will bring the attention from Peach to you. Keep doing it until the entire reception has their attention on you.**

"Do you accept, Vendy?"

This prompt, in general, is a perfect match for Wendy. Her five-star tantrums can cause even the ears of the residents of Dinosaur Land to ring for minutes on end; using such a gift as a source of distraction proves logical. The attention that the attention-hungry, fame-seeking Koopaling will get from the reception-goers will also fill up her monthly quota. However, due to Ludwig giving her the command, she refuses to show her happy side; she reluctantly agrees.

"Whatever."

"Terrific, Vendy. Now-"

However, before Ludwig can go on, Lemmy interrupts him yet again. If any resident of Kastle Koopa was to be considered the most civilized, unselfish and craved the least personal attention, Lemmy would snatch that title by a long shot. While the rest of the Koopalings tend to be too busy satisfying their own needs, Lemmy, in addition to his own needs, tries to help others. In short, the rest of the Koopalings practice parasitic interactions while Lemmy prefers a more mutualistic approach. Ludwig knows this also, so rather than getting mad at Lemmy interrupting him for the second time in ten minutes, Ludwig instead expresses surprise.

"Ludwig! What about yours?"

"Vell uhh..." Ludwig couldn't muster up the strength to get mad yet again at Lemmy. Instead, Ludwig's more patient and attempts to answer the question, "Mine is ze most direct. I am to capture ze Princess."

"What about the order?" Wendy inquired.

"I vas going to talk about zat before Lemmy here interrupted me," the eldest Koopaling stated. He seems a bit more patient now than he has been even ten minutes ago, but deep down, Ludwig just wishes that his siblings can pipe down for just two extra minutes. The meeting's wrapping up, then they all can have a short break or something before they leave.

"Sorry Ludwig. I just wanted to know!"

"I know. Anyvay, Lemmy's task stays here, so obviously he is first. Vhen he gets zere, I vant Vendy to do her part. I vill drop her off to ze best area, zen ve vill move ze doomship to a safe area, and both Iggy and I can get ze Princess. After zat, ve vill have Peach in our possession and ve vill get ze credit!"

The other Koopalings cheer at the last sentence of Ludwig's. No doubt, Peach to Bowser is like a Ferrari to an avid car junkie. No other gift, save for the Mushroom Kingdom, offers more importance to Bowser than Peach. If the Koopalings succeed in giving Bowser his dream 'gift', then he'll flower them with anything they want and need!

"Yes! As Dad succumbs, I can feel my two tons of titanium under my thumbs! Perhaps some other metals before I can settle to rebuild our flying vessels..." Iggy breathed out.

"My very own circus! Maybe new balls!" cheered Lemmy.

"Like, don't forget my trip to Europe! I can, like, eat some sea snails in France, get, like, totally tanned in Tuscany and tour the Alps of Switzerland! Don't forget the chocolate!" Wendy screamed in pure excitement. She's pumped for this unconfirmed trip; she probably packed for it ahead of time. At this point, either Bowser pays for it, or Wendy pays for it via Bowser's credit card.

"Affirmative! He'll provide all of zose! Ve just have to succeed! Oh, add Austria to zat list, Vendy. I loved it vhen I lived zere," confirmed Ludwig with a grin. He then checks his walkie-talkie for the time. The LED screen reads 4:49PM; the reception should start in eleven minutes. Hopefully, Ludwig is right about the reception being at 5pm, but then again, he did get insider secrets about the entire wedding in general, "Ve should head off now. EVERYVUN! Plans are now in action!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the more inhabited west wing of the castle, two other Koopas lounge on a couch, sucked into the Donut Plains vs. Birabuto soccer match. In the match, a dino-torch steals the soccer ball from a goombo and passes the ball to a rex. The rex then dodges a defensive line of goombos, dashes towards the goal then kicks the ball at it. A bunbun goalie attempts to block the ball but fails to do so. The rex scores a point for Donut Plains, leaving the score to be 1-0.

"Yes! Score!" the two Koopas shouted in happiness. The two Koopas, despite not being from Dinosaur Land, always root for Donut Plains. Just the fact that a low-tech, undeveloped, primitive land like Donut Plains can have such a great soccer team makes the two want to support them even more. They don't hate Birabuto, other than it being under Daisy's control, but to them, Birabuto has... well, not as diverse nor as poor of a population as Donut Plains.

After the goal, the television flips to commercial break, during which, the two Koopas begin to associate with each other.

"So... What about Ludwig?" a brown-scaled, grey-shelled, hefty Koopa questioned the other. The other Koopa puts a pillow between the couch and his pink shell and then adjusts his shades.

"Eh. Da usual. Using us to accomplish only his goals and nobody elses. Ya were wise when ya didn't wanna be involved with his plans, Morty. Dat dude is a lil punk, hoseyin' up my plan as his!"

Morton shifted from his side of the couch, converting his lounging position to one of sitting upright. Finding the new position to be more comfortable, the Koopa utters his thoughts.

"He's been like that ever since I can remember. He may have been nice to you guys before I was hatched or shortly after, but never since then."

"I know, he's a stuck-up lil jerk. For years he was. In fact, when I came back from New York after you hatched, was when he started goin' bonkers. Earlier was no exception when I took away his 'thunder'. He didn't like me tellin' my plan, yet he liked my plan. We got mad at each otha and... I'm here now."

"He told you to leave?" inquired Morton, pondering over the entire situation. By now, the Koopaling's intrigued by the conversation between him and Roy. Although Ludwig acting Commando occurs every day, him kicking people out of a plan requiring several pairs of arms isn't. This means either Ludwig underestimates the conquest of Princess Peach, or he wants a bigger share of the glory. Maybe a half-and-half combination?

Roy also thinks about the situation but approaching the topic from another angle. Instead of feeling like Ludwig wants all the glory, Roy feels Ludwig instead wants to retain his rank as Top Dog. If Ludwig commands a successful kidnapping of Peach in his first try without the aid of Bowser, then the Koopa King will flower him with praise for the rest of his life. His puffed-up, pride-filled heart will keep expanding, being filled more and more with each passing second. In his soon-to-be corrupted eyes, his siblings will be nothing to him but either unworthy peasants or treacherous opponents.

Unless, of course, the Koopaling duo themselves can prevent such a self-destruction force from working its way into their brother. Thinking this, Roy grins.

"I have an idea bro," the burly Koopaling sneered, "Y'know. Ludwig wants to capture Peach!"

"Naw really, Sherlock?" Morton yawned. Old news. Everyone knew that, and everyone is taking every chance they get to use Bowser's potential happiness to their advantage. Which child of Bowser's wouldn't manipulate their own father? Antics such as these pollute the Koopa genetic line; it won't disappear any time soon.

"We can't let dat happen," continued Roy, "Do you really want to hear nuttin' but Ludwig braggin'?"

"No. I mean not really. When that guy brags, it gets super annoying because—well frankly his bragging's just annoying," the brown Koopaling answered, preventing himself from showing off his infamous habit of going off on a tangent. At his brother's reply, Roy nods his head.

"Yep! So why sit here like sittin' ducks while our brother drags our siblings and dey all go on a journey to screw up our lives? I have a plan to stop dem."

Confused about what Roy's plan is, Morton shrugs at the question. Out of the two, Morton's the more logical, creative and observant one on a typical day while Roy's the tough, fearless and power-hungry leader. While Roy's participation in planning or other forms of brainwork occurs, most of his ideas either don't make any sense, or they are failures waiting to happen. However, the plan he's currently brainstorming may be a welcomed exception.

By this time, the commercials end and the game plays again, but the Koopalings don't pay any attention to it. In fact, hearing the cheering and the voice of the announcer, Roy powers off the television before continuing.

"I was thinkin': rather den letting dem steal da glory, we should kidnap da Princess! We have as much manpower as da otha four! Or, even better yet, tell Pops about dere lil secret!"

Roy, thinking outside the box. For the first time in ages, a plan of his turns out logical and sensual enough to consider it. Heck, it was logical enough to bring Morton to a smile. They have the idea down, now they just need a plan to not only counteract Ludwig.

"I will do anything to go against Ludwig," Morton vowed.

* * *

 


	3. Reception Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reception finally occurs. Arriving late, Peach only enjoys a few minutes of her reception before she passes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: This is actually one of my shorter chapters of the entire story, but hopefully still enough juiciness to keep you all satisfied. Guess we'll see!
> 
> But, without further ado, I present to you...

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard I: Foundations**

* * *

**Chapter III**

**The Reception**

* * *

Five in the afternoon approaches; hundreds of celebrities and other special guests pack the courtyard. The reception's lush, regal design compares to the inner and outer appearances of the Mushroom Kingdom's massive castle in its elegance.

The Mushroom Kingdom monarchs plan on officially kicking off the reception, but the two notice one problem: Everyone arrived except for the newly-wedded couple.

"Where's Peach? And Mario?" Queen Toadstool questioned her husband, who's once again stuck in a golf hallucination. Hearing the condensed concern in her voice, the King snaps out of his happy-land.

"W-what?" he stuttered, drifting back into reality bit by bit, "She's probably... Uhh... Talking to Daisy!"

Queen Toadstool focuses her attention to the crowd, trying to see if Daisy's even present. She spots several red-spotted white Toad hats as well as Luigi, dressed in his green-and-black tuxedo. The Queen turns back towards her husband and sighs.

"I would ask Luigi if he knows where they are but... I don't know."

She sighs once again as the only response she gets from her husband is a grunt.

"Well, they better be here soon. They have twenty minutes until it's simply too late to be acceptable!"

* * *

An hour and a half before the reception, Peach rises from her stool and plops down onto her bed. Exhaustion grips her body with a stiff, daunting hold like a stealthy shark; all she wants to do is to sleep it off, wedding dress and all.

Her wish granted without her knowledge, she jolts back into consciousness after hearing pounding on her door. Grogginess plaguing her body, the princess rolls towards the door, resulting in her falling off the bed. After a mental scolding about laziness and not opening the door, she jolts off the bed and answers the door.

"Took you long enough," Mario greeted, "Now let's go to the reception before your... *ahem*... perfectionist mother kills us both."

Though not saying a word, Peach blushes as she grabs Mario's hand. He's right, but despite inheriting that trait from her mother, Peach didn't feel any rush to arrive on time. After all, the reception's the more informal part of the entire wedding ceremony, and one must expel extra effort to mess up a gathering that has no plot-line of any sort.

They go down the nearest flight of stairs and meander through the hallways, initially holding hands before they begin playfully shoving each other. The empty hallways echo the shrieks and laughter emitted from the two, no doubt carrying the fading sound to every room between each far-reaching side of the majestic castle, including the kitchen.

Once the two lovebirds pass the kitchen, the resident chef, Tayce T., sights them as she dishes some teriyaki chicken from the pan onto a large food tray.

"Hey! You two! You're giving your mother a heart attack!"

Peach smiles and approaches the kitchen counter. Besides the chicken rests a large selection of desserts. She couldn't tell what half of them were, but after this stress-filled day, she can't help but bring up fantasies of her lounging on the bright, warm, white-sand beaches Water Land's famous for, a bottle of sunscreen in one hand and a jelly-pumped sweetened pastry in the other. However, her daydreams crash down after being swatted with an unused spatula.

"Shoo!" Tayce T. shooed in a secretive sort of way, "You'll see the desserts later! It's a surprise! Please, I insist, find your parents, Princess!"

"Okay! Okay!" Peach retreated. She knows Tayce T. means no harm and she desires to make her cooking a surprise for everyone, but Peach still feels like she deserves to sample one of those dessert items. What if they tasted weird—and there she goes again with the worrying.

After being kicked out of the kitchen, Mario and Peach round the corner to go out into the courtyard. As they open the door, Peach gasps at the decorations. A large wedding arch saturated with white balloons placed under the door greets them, multiple fancy tables litter most of the courtyard's floorspace, and a brigade of lights decorate each edge and corner of the castle's outside walls. A makeshift dance floor packed with other wedding guests take up the remaining floorspace across from the door, with two large speakers playing various music genres ranging from upbeat, get-crazy songs to soft, slow-dancing melodies.

Sighting the princess, the guests on the dance floor pause their dancing and the ones seated at their tables all stood up. The patrons kneel in respect for both Mario and Peach, while the Queen approaches her daughter in relief.

"Phew, Peach, you made it safely! Please don't be late again, I was having panic attacks!"

"Thanks mom, but I'm not sixteen anymore! I can take care of myself."

"Oh, of course you can, darling," the Queen agrees as she brushes her recently-manicured fingers in Peach's hair, "But it's best to be careful. You know you do hold a lot of power in the Kingdom. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Mom," Peach sighs, "It's a wedding reception. MY wedding reception. We have so many guards, I'm pretty much safe. No need to worry."

"Well, true," the Queen sighed, "Is Daisy somewhere? I thought she was with you."

"Nope, I haven't seen her in a few hours actually. But she's probably taking a little break, or talking to someone else in private. You know how she meets someone she likes then steps out with them."

"Well true," the Queen acknowledge before smiling, "And you're right. Time to stop worrying, and time to have a great reception!"

As the Queen walks away from the bride and groom, the guests all stand back up from their kneeling and continue to do their prior activities. When the music starts playing another slow song, Peach drags Mario onto the dance floor and slow-dances with him.

"This is our first night in forever. I can't believe this is happening," Peach whispered to Mario as she puts her head on his shoulder.

"Me neither. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Okay. Lemmy's keeping Father busy, so ve don't need to vorry about him coming," Ludwig told Iggy and Wendy the current status of the plan, "Vendy, stay here and when I say the command to you, scream. Got it?"

"Whatever," Wendy replied as she pulls out a megaphone to aid her.

"Good. Now c'mon, Ignatius, ve're still half a kilometer avay from ze castle."

Ludwig and Iggy begin making their way through the heavy forests covering the area south of the castle. Iggy, who formed his knockout invention in the form of multiple harmless gas bombs, pocketed the inventions into his shell before any guards become suspicious of the weapon arsenal.

Not long after, both Koopalings arrive at the other side of the forest. Before Iggy steps out, Ludwig holds him back.

"Stay here. It's safer in here zan in ze clearing. Let me see if Lawrence's out zere still," Ludwig commanded as he pulls out his walkie-talkie, "Lawrence! Come in!"

Ludwig receives no answer.

"I repeat. Lawrence, pick up!"

Still no answer.

"Ugh. Ve're on our own, Iggy," Ludwig sighed. He knew all along that there'd be a time Larry became unreliable, and unfortunately for the plan, the unreliability played during the wrong time. Even worse, he may now be nesting under the arms of Roy and Morton... "So, Iggy, ve're south of ze castle right now, and ze reception's on ze vest side. Vhat you should do is go around ze castle anticlockvise, zen vhen you get to ze north of ze reception, hurl ze bombs at zem."

Iggy nods. The genius reckons it's best to follow Ludwig's plan for now; he could use some well-deserved rep with Bowser.

"Okay, I'm off then."

"Okay," Ludwig responded before adding, "Tell us when you're at the northern section of the castle. We'll get Wendy to scream after."

Iggy nods once again before making his way out of the clearing and towards the pink-and-white castle's southern wing. Before he turns the corner to the eastern side, the genius peeks over, relieved that the coast is clear. Perhaps all the guards are with Peach on the other side?

Iggy continues his meandering across the eastern side of the castle and, once again peeking over the northeast corner, makes his way to the north side. Sighting no threats within his vicinity, Iggy pulls out his walkie-talkie and informs Ludwig.

"I'm on the north side! They're soon to get a surprise! Hahahaha!" Iggy informed, expecting a response from Ludwig.

Instead, another voice piped up over the line. Rather than the bold, commanding voice of his eldest brother, Iggy senses a worried, cautious voice. Knowing the source of the voice, he sighs before responding, "Larry. You finally came back."

"Yes I did! You guys gotta stop this!"

"Oh nonsense, Lawrence," Ludwig's voice breaks into the conversation, "Everyzing's going as planned. Are you enraged because you didn't have an active part of ze plan?"

"No! I'm serious! Stop this! I'll explain back at the castle! Come back!"

The line goes silent, as if Ludwig pondered over the words Larry uttered. The way he phrased the words, whatever the matter was appears to be serious, but alas, Ludwig couldn't detect any threats. This may be a Roy and Morton ploy to slow down the mission. As a result, Ludwig shuts out Larry and instead decides to continue with the plan. He rings in to Wendy's walkie-talkie.

"Vendy, do it now!"

A loud scream pierces the skies above Peach's Castle. From the sounds of gasps and chairs being pushed out, Iggy knows that the guests heard the sound. One even shouted something along the lines of "Wow! That came from the southern area!"

"They heard it, Ludwig! The guards may be coming your way!" Iggy alerted before pocketing his walkie-talkie and grabbing three gas bombs from his shell. Iggy creeps up to the northwestern corner and peeks out towards the reception. He was right; many people stand, seemingly aware and alert at the sudden screams, while others pick up their phones to maybe call more guards or the Toad Town Police. Iggy sighs; the police wouldn't be good to have during this plan, so his part must be done as soon as possible.

"Sorry clowns, but you guys are going down! Better call your chauffer, because the party's over! Hahahaha!" Iggy cackled as he lights the three gas bombs with a fireball. He then chucks the bombs at the reception; seconds later, thick clouds of pale-yellow gas consume the area. He hears coughing for several seconds before everything, save the soft music, went still.

* * *

Sensing possible partygoers and guards charging his way and figuring he'd be uncovered by them, Ludwig moves towards the northwest. He'd be closer to the reception, but he'll also have a higher chance of being out of the chargers' search zone. As Ludwig paces northwest, he cursed Iggy in his head. That darned koopa needs to hurry up and just use the stupid bombs already!

His negative thoughts subsided as he laid eyes upon the reception not far from him. As a strange, yellowish gas fizzles out, the eldest spots several reception members, including Peach, out cold.

"Bingo!" Ludwig cheered to himself. Looking first to the north, then the south and finally east, noticing no threats other than a demented Iggy running away from the castle grounds, Ludwig then dashes out from his covers and nabs the passed-out Peach.

No threat surfaced, but Ludwig runs off the castle grounds with Peach on his shoulder. He couldn't risk being caught out of nowhere, and he figured running away from nothing will always be better than walking away from sudden "heroes".

He makes his way through the half-kilometer of forest to the doomship. His overworked lungs plead him to rest, but his adrenaline and fears command otherwise. Not long after, he reaches his doomship, and any happy feelings he received from finding the doomship disappears when he notices Bowser scowling at him while holding Lemmy by the shell.

"Uhh..." Ludwig stared with a loss of words. What was his dad doing here, and how did he know? "Fancy meeting you here?"

"Get in the doomship," Bowser roared, "NOW! And drop Peach!"

Shocked, Ludwig drops Peach on the floor and cowers as he passes his father and enters the doomship. He knew better than to show any emotion other than submissiveness to Bowser whenever he got upset at him.

Bowser sighs; the strong emotion of anger he had dissipated into one of exhaustion. He puts Lemmy into the doomship before picking up the passed-out princess and also deposits her into the doomship. If she's passed out, she mind as well tag along with this "family outing".

He'll just have to deal with everything once they all get back to the castle.


	4. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach realizes her kidnapping and confronts Bowser about it. However, he also doesn't seem thrilled to have her at his castle. Meanwhile, Larry reveals how Bowser found out about the plan to the other Koopalings.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard I: Foundations**

* * *

**Chapter IV**

**Confrontations**

* * *

The next morning, Peach wakes up with a content smile before letting out a yawn. Her wedding and reception went so smooth! Although, as odd as the fact seems, she couldn't remember the reception all too well. Perhaps the massive flood of relief of a job well done made her forget most of it? Or did the unbelief of being a newlywed factor in somehow?

Or, maybe she's on her honeymoon already? Those were supposed to be exciting enough to forget half the previous day. She fantasizes about Mario laying on the other side of the bed, in a coastal-front, five-star hotel in Water Land; the salty air and the merciless sun begging to leak into the elegant room.

Acting on these fantasies, she reaches her arm towards the other side of the bed. She couldn't feel Mario, only the bed's mattress. Confused, Peach sniffs the air. Rather than the salty, yet fresh aroma of Water Land, she only smells a faint odour of sulfur from lava pits and volcanoes. A smell that, although foreign, she somehow grew accustomed too.

That's when she realizes. Her eyes snap open, and a pink room greets her. Unlike other pink-painted rooms that bring comfort into her life, this rosy room only delivers feelings of horror and helplessness.

She must be in Bowser's castle. What a terrific place for her to be at the day after her wedding. It's not her number one dream vacation spot after all.

Oh well, Mario'll save her. The first time he'll save her as her husband!

But for now, maybe she'll sneak out of her room and confront that monster, Bowser.

With the thought in mind, she attempts to get out of bed before she realizes the dress she's wearing. He didn't even give her a normal dress to change into! He just kidnapped her in her wedding dress!

Dress and all, Peach paces towards the door, opens it and peeks out. During a typical kidnapping "trip", at least two koopatrol guards stand haste at her door for the entire day. However, this time, no signs of koopatrols or other baddies steadfast at her door. In fact, no guards patrol the hallway at all.

Taking the current situation to her advantage, she exits her room and strolls down the hallway. Although familiar with Bowser's castle, she never took the time to realize its décor. Unlike her red, pink and white-themed castle, his took on a more grey, brown and black ambience. Miniature spikes and Bowser statues contrast her hearts and stars. With the vast differences between the two, Peach can't understand why Bowser still kidnaps her and tries to keep her here. She's never been able to stand this place due to how foreign the setting appears.

Or, perhaps opposites do indeed attract? _Naaaaah._

Peach tries her best to ignore the decorations she deems terrible; a more important task lies ahead of her: finding Bowser.

The door at the end of the hallway leads to Bowser's room; she knows from her previous kidnapping trips that Bowser enjoys setting her up in the room closest to his bedroom for reasons she's never figured out. There's no way any other guests would stay in Peach's room; nothing ever gets disturbed in there until she gets kidnapped.

Rather than doing the ladylike, princess act of knocking, Peach instead turns the knob and kicks open the door. A stunned Bowser greets Peach in the now-exposed room.

"Bowser Koopa!" Peach shouted, "We have things to talk about!"

"We do?" Bowser peeped before eyeing her dress, "Did you decide to marry me?"

"No! Never! Don't even say that! That's gross! And don't even mention my wedding dress! That's on you!" Peach voiced in a disgusted manner, "And yes, darn right we have stuff to talk about! Don't you know where I'm supposed to be?!"

Bowser nods before answering, "Of course, you're supposed to be with _Mario_."

"Exactly! So why did you plan to kidnap me?! Why on my wedding day, you dolt?" Peach interrogated.

"Peach," Bowser sighed, "I actually didn't plan to kidnap you. Blame my bratpack for that. I only found out about their plan from Lemmy, and that was after they caught you."

Silence falls upon the group. Whenever Bowser kidnaps her, he boasts nonstop about it, so seeing a sudden shift in character seems fishy to Peach. Perhaps, once in his life, Bowser's telling the truth?

"Okay," Peach questioned, "So let's say you're telling the truth, which I don't 100 percent believe. Why wouldn't you want to kidnap me?"

"Because..." Bowser voiced before sighing once again, "I just... can't."

"Can't? You've been doing it for decades!"

Bowser shakes his head as he looks down, "Things change... Look, I actually didn't want you kidnapped, but when my kids decided to anyway, I kept you unguarded for Mario to come, yet he hasn't yet. That fulfills the prophecy already."

"Prophecy?" Peach questioned, this time in curiosity rather than in the interrogative tone she voiced just minutes ago, "What do you mean?"

"You won't believe it. It's prophecy from medieval koopa lore. So far the majority of all the stories and proverbs there have occurred, and from the looks of it, Mario will make his way in there."

"How is our wedding prophesied?" Peach questioned before turning around towards the door, "You know what? You got me there for a second, Koopa. Great job on the lying, but it didn't last."

Peach begins to exit the room, but pauses when Bowser yells out, "Wait!"

"What?"

Peach turns back towards Bowser, now holding onto a medium-sized book. She gives him a suspicious look before glossing at the tome.

"Here's a book on Koopa prophesy," Bowser offered, "It won't mean much to you, but whatever. I can't remember where at the wedding's at, but it's in there. Read it whenever you can, if you ever plan to. It'll be bad luck if I tell you what I'm talking about."

"Hmmph."

Peach leaves Bowser's room, journeys down and hall and reenters her room. She tosses the book onto the room's study desk, resulting in the old book mixing in with the countless other dated tomes. There's no way some old Koopas from centuries ago would've predicted her wedding, right? But perhaps she'll give it a read if Mario doesn't become a hero for the ten-thousandth time quick enough.

* * *

Meanwhile, the seven koopalings all gather in the lounge. Four of them mope around while the other three either grin, attempt not to laugh, or continue to give a blank stare.

"Man, I can't believe we got in trouble," Wendy sniffled, "Like seriously, y'all don't know how, like, devastating this is for me! I was totally ready for Europe!"

"And my titanium!" Iggy joined in.

"I can't believe Dad dragged me along!" Lemmy wept, still feeling ashamed that something he was too good at, failed.

"Zat plot vas so perfect. How did it fail?" Ludwig questioned the rest of the group. Although he didn't expect an answer, Larry, snapping out of his blank stare, replies.

"I know how."

"You do? Do tell, Lawrence," Ludwig commanded. The three other kidnappers stare at Larry in rapt attention.

"Well, okay... While you guys were gone, it went like this..."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Larry lounges on the large, five-man couch, watching a Koopa spy thriller movie of some sort. Not much goes on around Larry, but towards the end of the movie, Lemmy rolls into the room, followed by Bowser.

"Larry! I'm gonna show you and Dad some tricks!" Lemmy exclaims in an excited, contagious voice.

Groaning to himself, Larry pauses the show and shuts off the television. He doesn't give a care in all the world about Lemmy's tricks, but the innocent, cheerful, excited cheers from his elder brother softens Larry enough to pay Lemmy some mind.

"Okay, nice. Show us," Larry rushed, more interested to see the movie's conclusion than the trickster's tricks.

Lemmy nods, and not long after, he stands on his ball with one foot, then starts to hop.

 _'Sheesh, why was Iggy's nickname Hop, not Lemmy's?'_ Larry thought as the show goes on. At this point, Lemmy then does a handstand on the ball, spins around and lands back on the ball, still intact.

"Wow. Nice one, Son!" Bowser exclaimed with more enthusiasm than Larry. He even goes as far as to clap after the achievement, while Larry gives a gesture just short of an applause.

"Thanks Dad! Now this next trick, I've been doing for months, and I think I perfected it! Watch!"

Lemmy starts off by doing a one-hand handstand on the ball, then pulls out three mini balls and a steel rod from his shell. What the jester intended to do was to balance the three balls on top of each other, with the steel rod lying flat at the top. However, as he stacks the second ball on top of the first, a sudden clattering throws him off, resulting in Lemmy falling off the ball then being whacked with the three balls and the rod.

"Dangit! I had it too!" Lemmy groaned in frustration. Meanwhile, Larry and Bowser both gaze over at the source of the commotion. There, Roy and Morton give both of them a small smirk.

"Ayy Lar, figured yous be out dere spyin' on dem Mushroomers fer Lud," Roy greeted, smirk still in place.

"Spying on Mushroomers?" Bowser questioned, seeming to be intrigued by the developing conversation, "For what?"

Larry sighs, "I don't know, Dad. Everyone always blames me for stuff because I'm the Spy, and they think I'm involved in everything because, guess what, I'm the Spy!"

"Larry's probably not involved," Morton agreed, "But don't you tally your own kids, Dad? Haven't you heard from Ludwig today? Wendy? Iggy?"

Bowser thought over the events of the day. He of course found out about Peach's wedding and how, according to Koopa prophesy, that placed the last unpounded nail in the Koopa Kingdom's casket. The only thing needed to pound that in is a kidnapping mission of Peach.

That's when he realized. No, can it be? Can it be that Ludwig, or Iggy, or even Wendy ordered a mission on capturing Peach? Say it ain't so.

"I haven't. Where are they?!" Bowser almost demanded.

"They went on a kidnapping mission. They tried to get Roy here involved, but he dipped out. I didn't even get asked so I don't know much about it-"

"And Lem's here was supposed ta throw you off, Pops!" Roy cut Morton off, his smirk growing by the second, "Better get to dat Mushroom Kingdom, Pops!"

Smoke blew from Bowser's nostrils as the news broke to him. Both Larry and Lemmy give their father frightened looks while Morton and Roy shake their heads at their brothers in a how-dare-you fashion before leaving the lounge.

"Do you guys STUDY ANYTHING?!" Bowser roared, resulting in the entire west wing of the castle shaking, "Peach is NOT to be kidnapped when she's MARRIED! THAT'S WHAT THE PROPHECIES SAY! That's the last step until the end of the Koopa Kingdom!"

Larry and Lemmy stand in shock. Neither of them knew such a prophecy existed; to be fair, none of the kids studied that sector of knowledge. They've all been bred to kidnap, so having a red light on such actions almost seems foreign.

"NOW WHERE ARE THEY?!" Bowser roared once again.

In fear, Lemmy rambles on, "Errtheywenttopeach'scastletomakeherandtheguestspassout!"

"SAY THAT AGAIN! IF I WANTED TO HEAR FAST TALKING, I'D MOVE TO DESERT LAND!"

"Uhh, they went to Peach's castle, and uhh, they're planning on, uhh, having her, uhh, pass out at the, uhh, reception, with, uhh, the other guests!" Lemmy explained, his nerves still getting the best of him.

"I wasn't involved in this, King Dad," Larry added, a bit of fright peppered into his voice. He then bows to his father in fear before jetting upstairs.

Bowser's angry demeanor then turns to one of determination, "Now let's go! We have a Kingdom to visit and three siblings of yours to grab!" he commanded as he picks up Lemmy by the shell and runs towards his Klown Khopper.

* * *

"Yep, so after that, I ran upstairs and told you guys through the walkie-talkie. However, you guys rejected me and continued on with the plan anyway," Larry explained, resulting in scowls from Ludwig, Iggy and Wendy.

"Vhy didn't you tell us ze reason to stop? Ve'd retreated if you did!"

"Yeah! And that was before I threw the bombs!" Iggy added.

"Look what you did, Larry! You, like, TOTALLY destroyed my chances of going to Europe!" Wendy cried, "It's all YOUR fault!"

"Really now? Because you four are to blame. Because of you guys, soon I may no longer be a prince!" Morton spoke up from the floor, earning a nod in agreement from Roy.

"Oh, hold zat blasphemous tongue of yours, Morton," Ludwig rolled his eyes, "Fazzer's exaggerating. Ve'd probably get into a var, but I doubt Peach, or Mario, or anyvun in zat kingdom vould take over Dark Land. Vhy vould zey now vhen zey had ze opportunity to for so long?"

"I just hope you're right," Lemmy hoped, "I'll miss my training area if we're no longer royalty!"

"Ludwig's right, as much as it pains me to say," Roy admits, breaking the implanted smirk from his face, "Mario's not gonna overthrow Peach. I hate dat man's guts from da past, but he won't. But youse just need to take care of all da bull youse caused, and it'd be straight."

"Roy, don't act all innocent," Ludwig rebutted, "You planned to kidnap Peach too. Don't even lie. Plus you outed us. YOU are ze reason ve're in trouble."

"Plannin' an' actually doin' it are two different things, Bro. Plus, I ain't in trouble, pal, neither is Morty or Lar, cuz we control ourselves."

Ludwig continues glaring at Roy, who then threatens the eldest.

"Why ya grillin' me, punk?! Ya better watch them beady eyes before they get skewered! Ya don't wanna take it dere!"

Sensing another argument for the Alpha Male title, the five other koopalings didn't dare say anything. However, instead of continuing on with the argument, Ludwig parrots what the others were thinking.

"Ve'll settle zat later, but for now, ve have more important matters in our hands zan Roy's temper tantrums. Like, first off, vhere is ze Princess? Is she still here? And how exactly does her being kidnapped after marriage lead to ze destruction of ze Koopa Kingdom?"

Each koopaling ponders over the situation their eldest kin presented to them. How does it make sense? Maybe it is a mere superstition rather than an actual prophecy?

"Wow! Uhh, not sure on any of that," Lemmy offered, "But we should ask King Dad about this stuff. You saw what happened when we go on our own."

"Valid point, dear Brother. Ve shall see vhat Fazzer's talking about vunce he's... Available."

Before any of the other koopalings offer their opinion, they all hear the faint call of "Dinner!" from the residential chef. Not wanting to be the last to the dining room, all seven dash out the lounge at once.

* * *

Peach continues laying on her bed, oblivious to everything going on around her. Her life in the Mushroom Kingdom; oh, how she misses it. Even if less than 24 hours elapsed since her kidnapping, she couldn't think of anything else.

She couldn't get over the reception. She didn't remember it, but she has no doubts that Bowser—or, rather his kids—trashed the reception while they kidnapped her. Oh, how foolish she'll look when she returns! She can't even save herself at a gathering of dozens of wealthy and powerful! She can't even be trusted with the lives of hundreds of others!

And what happened to all of the attendees and other folk? Did anyone even witness her being kidnapped?

Her mind then drifts from the reception, to Mario. How's Mario faring with the news? Does he even know she got kidnapped?

She also blushes as she brings up fantasies of the honeymoon trip she's supposed to be on today. Her and Mario running on the beaches of Water Land, hurling wet sandballs at each other, then running into the cool, soothing waters to swim with—and even ride—the dolphins there.

Other than the beach, she'd love to eat at Water Land's finest, five-star seafood restaurants, and try anything from their local, world-famous cheep cheep dinners to the more exotic lungefish and lockjaw fishes they get from Yoshi's Island and the DK Isles. Other than the beach, both the seafood restaurants and their boardwalks connecting the multiple islands make Water Land Peach's target vacation spot.

And now, because of Bowser, she couldn't go.

Peach snaps out of her thoughts as pounding sounds on her door. Noticing her reality to be the pink-painted room with the faint sulfur smell rather than the open, salty air of paradise, she grumbles before opening the door. Outside, a koopatrol greets her.

"Your Majesty," the koopatrol addressed her before giving her a bow. Multiple red flags raised in Peach's head; whenever she got kidnapped by Bowser or his forces, she wasn't necessarily abused, but the guards giving her royalty treatment occurred seldom, at best.

"Uhh, hey," Peach let out after her bout of speechlessness, "What now?"

"The Royal Family is having their dinner shortly. Would you care to join them?"

Something must be going on. She also gets fed well at Bowser's castle, but she never gets invited to their dinners either. But, since she's given the opportunity and Mario's not here to save her yet, she mind as well enjoy a dinner or two with the family.

"What's on the menu?"

"Cheep cheep and ostro," the koopatrol responds, "I think some kinds of vegetables too, not sure."

Cheep cheep? She mind as well try some of that so she can compare it with Water Land's once she's out of this dreaded castle.

"Sure," Peach smiles, "I'd be blessed to tag along."

"Well, okay," the koopatrol appears as shocked as Peach was, but attempts not to show the emotion, "Follow me."

* * *

In the castle's dining room, Bowser and the seven koopalings sit at a large table complete with eight chairs in the middle and two end chairs. Of course, the family only cares about the resources present on the table: countless baskets, bowls and plates packed with high-quality, royal-standard food. Each koopaling wants a giant hunk of cheep cheep or ostro on their plate complete with sides, but every time one would reach over to fill up their empty plate, Bowser would clear his throat.

"Wait. The Princess is joining us," he added to the throat-clearing every time, "So behave, especially when she comes here."

Five minutes after the family got seated, the koopalings were at a point of murmuring before a koopatrol enters the room, Peach in tow, still in her wedding dress.

"Welcome, Peach," Bowser greeted before smirking once again at her wedding dress.

"Peach!" Lemmy cheered, "Are you marrying my dad?!"

Both Peach and Bowser groan at the question. She needs to get this dress off her; it's starting to become her bad luck charm, and she misses her stereotypical pink dress complete with the blue jewel on her chest. She never knew what the blue jewel was, only that her parents claim it's an important tool she should only 'use' it in life-threatening emergencies, and from that importance, Peach overall feels more secure in it.

"No, I'm not marrying your dad. I'm in a wedding dress because YOU guys kidnapped me during MY reception," Peach answered haughtily as she glares at Ludwig. Noticing her glare and the adjoining ones from his six siblings, Ludwig shrugs.

"You vere vulnerable, and I zought Fazzer vanted you here."

"Which I didn't," Bowser butted in, giving Ludwig a glare, "But welcome."

"Gee, thanks for the welcoming," Peach grumbled before seating herself at the endtable opposing Bowser.

"It's just the whole... Situation, not you yourself," Bowser reassured, "Anyway, as we do here, Peach and Wendy dish up first."

As Wendy gets up from her seat and grabs a cheep cheep, Peach stares in awe. Amid the rumours of koopas being nothing but a chaotic, evil and selfish species, she finds the use of chivalry to be a nice, needed exception, even if it occurred only at the dinner table. Not only did Bowser enforce that, but the six male koopalings didn't even utter a complaint. Perhaps the negative stereotypes of koopas the mushroomers use could be an overstep.

Seeing Wendy move towards her seat, Peach then starts dishing her plate. As she promised herself, she grabs a piece of cheep cheep and a small slice of ostro before gathering a spoonful of mashed potatoes, some of the gravy, and a vegetable mix serving. Being satisfied with her plate size, which appears larger than her typical serving at her castle, Peach then sits down.

As a sign of courtesy, combined with Wendy not touching her plate, Peach waits until the male koopalings, and then Bowser, get their food before she picks up her fork.

"Now," Bowser called out, "Let's eat!"

Peach stabs the cheep cheep meat with her fork before cutting off a little slab of it. Though fearful of the meat, she then puts the meat in her mouth.

Ever since she remembered, she'd been told about the horrendous cooking that came from koopas. Mushroomers, and even her own parents, carried on negative stereotypes about the koopas' cooking, such as they use stray animals, and that their food is anything but quality.

But the taste of the cheep cheep defied all those stereotypes. The cheep cheep didn't have a fishy taste at all, but more of a salty, lemony taste. It could be the cheep cheep itself—she never ate one before—but it could also be the koopas' true cooking. Seeing as she survived all her kidnapping trips with Bowser's cooking, her conclusions support the latter option.

Meanwhile, Bowser smirks when he sees Peach's shocked emotion. Shocking the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, in a positive way, still remains a boast-worthy feat.

"Is this, like, from Water Land? Because this totally tastes gourmet!" Wendy complimented. Today must be Shocking-Peach Day, as she perhaps never witnessed Wendy actually complimenting someone in her life. Looking over at Peach and grinning at her face, Wendy then continues, "Peach, you seriously need to live here. The food has, like, competition with your fungus' cooking!"

"I'll think about it," Peach mentioned. Although she did agree with Wendy's food statement, Peach married Mario, and she's the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She doesn't belong in her nemesis's kingdom, let alone his castle. She's taking a big enough step befriending them.

"If zat kingdom of yours prevents you from visiting, ve can alvays arrange another kidnapping trip," Ludwig offered, resulting in a head-shaking from his father.

"Since you all kidnapped me after my reception, this is my honeymoon. They say honeymoons shouldn't be repeated," Peach explained, "So no thanks on that one."

"Vell... Can't say I didn't try."

Other than conversational fillers such as "How was your day?" and "How many plants does it take to get ten kilos of carrots?", the rest of dinner proved uneventful for the princess. As she finished her slab of cheep cheep, she hopes that the authentic cheep cheeps in Water Land will be just as flavourful.

The ostro meat wasn't bad, though nothing to brag about compared to the fish she had, but considering she isn't much of an ostro-meat kind of person, even a 'meh' was a compliment. Peach just started to work on finishing the carrots and broccoli when she looks up and sees only Bowser seated at the table.

"Wow, your children are silent when they leave," Peach pointed out.

Bowser only gives her a scowl in return. "Silent? They made a racket. I think you were just fantasizing about something."

"Like that fish?" Peach questioned, "I admit, you threw me off with that one. You know the rumors about koopas not being able to cook."

"I do. We have the same rumour in Dark Land about mushroomers and how they flavor their meat by letting it sit on the counter overnight with a dead rat."

"Which we don't do, by the way," Peach quickly added, "But from that cheep cheep, I could debunk your stereotypes too."

Bowser grins at the compliment, but before he mutters anything, Peach puts up her hand.

"BUT!" she exclaimed, "Don't get your hopes up for anything, because when Mario comes, I'm not coming back at all. Not willfully."

"Of course," Bowser sighs, "We all know that."

Peach smiles in recognition as she downs the last of her vegetables. Not seeing any of the koopalings put away their plates, she hesitates on whether to leave her plate at the table or to bring it to the kitchen.

"Just leave the plate," Bowser guided, seeming to read her mind, "Also, just curious. Want to go on a tour of the castle? We never done that even though you can't finish up every other Wednesday without coming here."

Peach rolls her eyes at Bowser, "Yeah, and whose fault is that?"

"Okay, okay! I had my reasons! Sheesh, quit the interrogating!"

"You give me a hard time by kidnapping you, and I'll strive to give you a hard time back," Peach giggled before replying, "Yeah, show me around. I need more things to have nightmares about."

"Oh c'mon, it's not that bad!" Bowser exclaimed, "If anything it'll be a dream come true."

Peach bursts out laughing at the statement, resulting in Bowser also giving off a few laughs. Neither knew why they found the statement to be hysterical.

A few seconds later, Peach cools down, "Dream come true, huh? Well quit standing there and show me around!"


	5. Castle Tours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser takes Peach on a tour of his castle. Throughout the tour, Peach learns more about Bowser and his family that she previously didn't know.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard I: Foundations**

* * *

**Chapter V**

**Castle Tours**

* * *

"Alright," Bowser started, the two of them exiting the dining room, "I'll show you the first floor and the roof. Everything else is either bedrooms or just official stuff."

Peach only nods back as she follows Bowser through the hallways. Once again, she notices the bleak decorations. They still creep her out, but she doesn't have the same disgust towards them as she did earlier. Perhaps the family and their... Ornate, exotic designs grew on her. Of course, not being into dark-themed art (as her parents treated such work as taboo) she won't be able to fully accept any of the more gothic decorations.

"The dining room and kitchen are actually in the middle of the castle," informed Bowser.

Peach nods her head again, understanding the room's layout. She'd actually be surprised if the dining room wasn't in the middle of the castle, since that room's also in the center of her own castle. Royalty on Plit regard the dining room as a central hub for not only the different meals of the day, but for family bonding and the sense of togetherness, two things running a kingdom will relinquish. Hence, every ruler of every major kingdom, past or present, position their dining rooms towards the middle of their castles as a symbolic gesture.

"So, since we're walking north, I'll show you the north wing first."

Not long after Bowser's instructions, both of them stumble upon a giant wall. Unlike the other walls in the hallway, and in the castle as a whole, no pictures or any other sort of ornament decorates the wallspace. The wall even lacks wallpaper, and instead, only faded-out paint garnish the wall's stony surface area.

"What's this?" Peach questioned the repulsive sight.

"Oh, that wall?" Bowser asked, "That's the chamber containing magma. Since it's the middle of April now and Dark Land's warming up, there's no magma in there currently, but during the winter months, we fill up this chamber with underground magma, then use the heated air as the castle's main heat source. It's efficient and healthy, and it saves the kingdom a ton of money that we'd otherwise spend on burning gas, but it gives off that sulfur smell. We all gotten used to the smell, but I could only imagine your pain."

"With the amount of times you kidnap me, I probably got used to it too," Peach smiles, "But it's still to the point of me knowing where I'm at just by the smell."

Through her smiling, she ponders over the chamber. She never knew the koopas were so... Green. She'd thought they'd do nothing but burn unhealthy amounts of coal while carpet bombing random things outside their borders. Peach sighs at her thoughts; once again, stereotypes from mushroomers.

"Looks like you have something on your mind," Bowser gazes at her, "Debunking more stereotypes? The one where all we do is burn and destroy things and that's why the air gets bad? You'd be surprised how much we rely on nature. Even most of our medicines come from it."

"Yep. That stereotype broke!" Peach exclaimed in a louder tone than she anticipated, "But... This wall. It's so..."

"Bleak?"

Peach nods her head. Bleak. There's absolutely nothing on this wall, nor by it, save for the paint.

"It's gross, I admit that straight up. It looked like that ever since I can remember, and my father was the last to paint it. It's just hard to decorate since the heat from it can burn up the more sensitive decorations. When May comes around and we for sure don't need the chamber for the summer, I'm getting my servants to build a sort of rock wall here; something fancier than just this smooth stone. I think spikier rocks or maybe bricks would match this hallway, don't you? Plus they won't set on fire."

"Yes, it'll fit in with this horrid design of a castle!"

Bowser grins at her response before turning away from the wall. His castle's designs reminisced those of medieval koopa times, where cold, grey, desolate stones furnish the forlorn fortresses rather than hot pink hearts and rosy carpets. He's proud of the design, and he rather feels at home in the otherwise dreary citadel. He figures most visitors will feel identical feelings after an extended visit. "Oh, you'll like it! You just need to stay here a bit longer."

"Yeah, yeah," Peach rolls her eyes. She'd never live here, even if the color Pink were held hostage until Peach decided otherwise, "Not happening, Koopa."

"Well, you never know," Bowser smirked as he walks along, "So that's the whole north side of the castle. Nothing exciting. Now we go to the east side. I think."

"'You think'?" Peach questioned, "Wow, you're quite the tour giver."

"Well hey! I was thinking!"

"Uh huh. So, the east. Let's see it."

Bowser guides Peach down another hallway, and once again Peach scoffs at the decor. She asks herself, _How do these people live like this? Why do they? Where do they hang out to avoid these creepy designs?_

Not long after, they reach a large double door; she's able to sense a peculiar smell locked behind the doors. Something along the lines of fruity, yet singed, as if a vat of berries blew up.

"This is the hospital in the castle. Well, more like the clinic," Bowser informed, "Y'know, the place I spend half my life in because of *ahem* your husband."

Peach giggles at the comment, resulting in Bowser rolling his eyes before giving off a near-invisible grin. Being the victim of Bowser's kidnapping, she possesses a seed of knowledge on Bowser's behind-the-scenes preparations. Being the epicenter of Mario's perilous journeys, however, she never sees how Bowser handles each broken arm, each fireball burn, each dislocated body part, or any other medical issue. All she thinks about after each rescue trip is the sheer happiness of heading home, and enforcing further security protocol to protect the Mushroom Kingdom from another looming attack.

"It must be your favorite room if you keep trying to grab me!" Peach stops giggling, but continues smiling, "And they must do a good job since you keep returning! Talk about a loyal customer."

"Well, hey! I'm more loyal than I look!"

"Do you get any discounts?" Peach continues to mock, "Such as... I don't know, fifty percent lower cost to get the ability to learn from your mistakes?"

"Peach, dear, I don't make mistakes."

"Pfft, yeah yeah. Anything else in that clinic?"

"Just medicines, basic scans and examinations really. All the deeper medical stuff's done at the hospital not far from here," Bowser explained, "Of course, as I said earlier, we have more natural medicine, so it's not as powerful as your kingdom's, but our surgeries and other procedures are more advanced than your toads'. We may be enemy kingdoms, but we're not at the point of war, so we still exchange medical secrets and practices."

"Understandable. It's tougher to work on a toad than a koopa due to the different anatomies. Sarasaland's also skilled in procedures so the most serious cases go there also. Plus Sarasaland's more peaceful to mushroomers than Dark Land is. Honestly, they're peaceful to all of us," Peach replied.

Bowser nods at Peach's words before adding in his own thoughts. Although Daisy rules the entirety of Sarasaland's largest kingdom, resulting in her having the most power of Sarasaland, the remaining kingdoms of Birabuto, Muda and Easton never followed Chai's excitement of a Mushroom Kingdom alliance. Instead, they opted for a neutral relationship with both mushroomers and koopas—as far as neither one invade nor manipulate them—which Chai reluctantly agreed to.

"Yeah. We still don't have strong diplomatic ties to Sarasaland like your kingdom does, so our doctors just do their work in Dark Land or in border towns," Bowser finished off, "Nothing else exciting here, other than a few offices dealing with medical files and first aid training. Now the south side. If I'm rushing this then say so, but I want to make sure we're on time for my favorite part."

"Oh, it's all fine! I got all the time in the world to be here, until Mario comes."

Silence falls upon the group during their journey. Migrating from the east wing to the south wing proves to be a more complicated feat due to a random wall blocking the path. They have to walk upstairs, down a little hallway, and back down in order to pass.

"I hate that wall. I always wanted it removed," Bowser grumbled before the two of them stop in what appears to be the foyer.

Peach surveys the room in awe. She spots two staircases leading to the second floor, an elevator, a few fancy endtables and two grand doors leading outside, with two koopatrols standing guard by the doorway. Best of all, the foyer lacks any of the other rooms' vile decorations.

"Wow!" Peach exclaimed, "To be honest, I've never seen your foyer. It's so... Well... It's not... Devious."

"Not devious?" Bowser sighed, "Not sure whether to be complimented or insulted."

"Well, it's coming from me, a princess that lives in a pink-and-white, happy-go-happy castle," Peach reminded, "Not sure if that helps at all, but there's that."

"Great. I have a happy room; that really helps," Bowser scoffed, "Anyway, here's the south wing. Yes, this is the foyer, and yes, this room's supposed to be the most friendly but... Looks as if the designer team got carried away."

"It looks good, don't worry. I like it, it almost brings out another... side of you. One I don't see."

"Well, what can I say?" Bowser voiced, scratching his head in a sort of nervousness, "I'm full of surprises."

"You are! That's so adorable, Bowsy!" Peach mocked, wanting to see another expression out of him. Something other than... Ruthless.

Her plan proved successful when Bowser's face turns a bit red before he voiced out, "Stop! We're out of this room now!"

Stifling her giggles, Peach follows him to the west wing of the castle. Once again, they need to go upstairs and back down to pass another wall. These walls must have to do something with the foyer.

When Bowser stops walking, Peach looks around, puzzled. She couldn't find any doors of any kind, and all she could see were pictures of different koopas. Many koopas she doesn't even recognize.

"Wow. Who're the koopas there?"

"It's my family line," Bowser explained, "And the ruling history of Dark Land. We started just over a thousand years ago. That there is King Koopa and Queen Koopa."

"King and Queen Koopa? Did they have names?"

"Both of their names were Koopa, and that's how we got our species' name. Back in those days, we didn't do last names. Heck, we didn't even do marriage back then; "marriage", "wedding" and whatever else weren't words to us until maybe two-hundred years ago after more interactions with your kingdom. It could've been a mushroomer-started practice, but we didn't practice it until recently."

"No marriage?" Peach questioned.

"Nope. We had partnerships, but that was the most extent. We weren't lawfully wedded."

"That's interesting."

Bowser continues to explain all of his ancestors and their lives. Amid all the weird names like Vallen, Phyllis, Vance and Kalen, she's surprised that the first Bowser in the line appears to be... The same Bowser standing by her.

Towards the middle of the group with the more "no-name" rulers, Bowser only goes over them briefly, until he reaches the picture titled King Desmond III: 1938-1966.

"Well, there's my grandpa," Bowser points out, "He died soon after I was born, so I don't know him too well. I always heard from Kamek that he was a great and kind person, yet, in the Koopa-against-Mushroomer sense, a terrible leader. He wasn't fierce, so although that helped with Mushroom Kingdom relations, your kingdom probably took advantage of him. But, at the same time, the Koopa kingdom prospered more than it probably ever had due to increased business and trade with other nations. Still, even if he wasn't a headstrong leader, I'd still like to meet him. He seems cool."

Bowser's calm attitude turns to one of pure anger when he looks at the next picture. Peach studies the picture and sees a brown koopa with several drawn X's across his picture. She looks down then gasps at the gold-plated name. Morton Koopa I, 1966-1981.

"You know this one already. Morton Koopa I, or Morton Koopa Senior we call him. His reign's recent enough and he's one reason the Mushroom Kingdom hates us. But anyway... This sorry excuse of a koopa is my father. He was the complete opposite of my grandfather. My father had love for nobody, not even his wife. My mother. The one I hardly know either because of him," Bowser growled, "He probably killed her. He probably killed my grandpa, and he probably killed his own siblings. They all disappeared under his rule, and other than my grandpa who was confirmed dead, their fates aren't even known."

"Wow!" Peach gasped, "I heard horror stories about him, but I didn't know they were actually true!"

"All he cared about was power, to the point where he kidnapped several of the Mushroom Kingdom's babies to make sure none of them have powers. I hear he killed the ones that looked as if they had power, while for the others, I'm not sure. Kamek advised me during that time, and he always told me he snuck the babies out to another castle and had other magikoopas care for them due to how immoral the whole situation was, despite being the Koopa Troop. Although "taking care" is a huge overstatement; the magikoopas still weren't the nicest by your standards, but they were infinitely better than my father's.

"Anyway, "Father" always tortured people he captured and almost always had them killed, either by overworking them, starving them or by any other way of slow torture. I hope he's slowly burning in the darkest corners of the Underwhere over and over again just because of what he done.

"During all that, he didn't care about being a father. He didn't care for us; he only cared if one of us survives, simply to continue his reign, so only my oldest brother lived with him full time. Kamek instead raised me and my younger brother and sister, so if anything, Kamek's more of a father than that koopa. That's why... I won't ever admit this, but... Well, I respect and trust Kamek."

Peach didn't know how to respond. She'd never thought Kamek would be a sheep in wolves' clothing to kidnapped babies, and she'd never thought she'd witness Bowser admitting to respecting someone. Today's been one huge shattering of prejudice and stereotypes against the Koopa Royalty.

Still, despite the explanation, questions still swirl around her mind. Perhaps now will be a great time to ask them.

"If you hated your father," Peach questioned slowly as if she expects a fireball thrown at her, "Then why did you name one of your sons after him?"

Bowser sighs over the question, "It's just a sign of respect. I may have hated him, and Kamek may have been my guardian, but he's still my father by birth. It's typically what the Dark Land kings do anyway. In fact, my other kids either have their first or middle names from previous kings or siblings."

Peach nods, intrigued by the explanations. She found the Koopa timeline to be... Well, less confusing than her mother's. She has her share of benevolent ancestors, but, contrary to popular Mushroom belief, ruthless dictators of yore did rule her kingdom. In the end, neither kingdom has always been good or bad, despite both kingdoms wanting to hide their sour apples. She'll admit straight-out; she's not proud of all her kingdom's actions in the past, but she's glad about how successful and open the Mushroom Kingdom became over the past generation, while at the same time, she won't expose her kingdom's negativities in casual conversation.

She passes on Morton's picture and now stares at two family photos. One shows Bowser and the Koopalings, while the other one shows Bowser, three koopas she never met, and three koopa children that appear to be Ludwig, Lemmy and Roy at a younger age.

One of the mysterious koopas appears to be a woman with a peach-colored face, pink shell and rainbow hair, much like Lemmy's, although she styled it flat. She gave a heart-melting smile as she held onto Lemmy; she seems like one of those types to randomly come up to someone and either compliment them, comfort them or make food for them when they need it.

The other female koopa wore a blue shell and dark-blue, almost black hair. Unlike the first koopa, this female gave a little smirk as she held Ludwig. Perhaps she was nice, Peach thought, but her smirk, combined with her large-and-in-charge posture showed that, although female, she'd be stronger than many of the male koopas, and could've even had a high ranking in the military.

Lastly, the male koopa held Roy, and Peach notices the similarities between Roy and the koopa. The male was larger in stature, much like Roy today, and just like him, also wore a pink shell and had a pink face. However, the similarities between the two end there, as the male also had scruffy, medium-length black hair, no sunglasses and he gave the camera a goofy grin. He must've been the fun, silly, immature one of the clan like today's Lemmy.

"Oh!" Peach gasped, wondering if the three unknown koopas are missing or deceased relatives. However, she didn't want to bother Bowser with the question; he's already filled with enough emotions over the entire thing. However, much to her surprise, Bowser follows her gaze to the pictures and begins speaking.

"Thats... an old family picture, with my... late wife Clawdia and my two younger siblings," Bowser sputtered, "I... I can't tell you more... I'm, uhh, sorry..."

"Oh. I'm sorry for that! I didn't mean to bring that up. I was–"

"It's not your fault. The picture's there for a reason," Bowser reassured, though sighing soon after, "I think we should go to my favorite spot now: the roof."

"Well, okay..." she responds, letting out a little giggle, "Lead the way, Tour Guide."

Peach follows Bowser, once again heading towards the dining room. However, just shy of the room, Bowser opens a sliding door, revealing a room containing two elevators. As Bowser presses the up arrow on the elevator's control panel, Peach surveys the room. The room's bare and empty; considering the rest of the fortress, the desolation's quite welcoming.

The elevator doors open, its emptiness rivaling the lobby. Peach enters the elevator with Bowser, who presses the button to head to the roof.

"What's even on the roof?" Peach questioned. Other than the mansion Mario and Luigi "won" from King Boo, even the fanciest castles on Plit fail to have much living space on their roofs, save for maybe a garden.

"You'll see."

Silence fills the elevator before the doors open, exposing one section of the roof. Peach's eyes widen as she gazes at the sky; countless stars greet her and Bowser as the two make their way to a bench nearby.

"See? Isn't this nice?"

Peach closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath. A trace of sulphur scents the air just enough for Peach to notice, although the smell reminds her more of hot spring resorts on Isle Delfino than a charred, desolate wasteland like Dark Land. Although crisp, the temperature's warm enough to prevent her from shivering, while being cool enough to... Well, relax without worry.

"I see why you go up here," Peach responds, opening her eyes then focusing her sight on the heavens above, "The stars—they're beautiful!"

Bowser nods as he too stares at the stars.

"I have to, to keep my sanity. Or what's left," he joked, earning a giggle from Peach before continuing on, "I have great kids but, honestly, their extreme different personalities to each other... Morton's sarcasm, Larry's spying, Wendy's screaming, Iggy's inventions, Lemmy's craziness, the back-and-forth assaults between Ludwig and Roy... With all their behaviors, I just need breaks every now and then."

"Are they really that bad?" Peach questioned, "Other than when they kidnap me, of course! They just seem so..."

"Odd?"

"So... Innocent," Peach questioned, "They really do act like your children rather than minions."

"Innocent?!" Bowser questioned before bursting into a fit of laughter, "Bwaahaaahaahaa! Innocent! They just kidnapped you without my say so!"

"True," Peach sighed, still continuing to gaze at the stars. She recalls her previous stargazing trips with Mario, whether on the beaches of Pipe Land or in the midst of farm country in Grass Land—she only wonders if she'll ever witness those events with him again. Call her crazy and taking an average kidnapping to the most extreme, but Bowser's mentioning of "prophecy" concerns her.

In the silence, Bowser faces Peach and notices her concerned expression.

"Anything wrong?"

"Besides the fact I'm here against my will? Nothing at all! Totally fine!"

"Well... I love the sarcasm," Bowser sighed, "Stay here for a bit until we know what's going on. If prophecies are right, it's not just Dark Land in danger. The Mushroom Kingdom has a ton to lose."

"I guess..."

Bowser gives Peach a small smile before he stands back up, "Uff... I need to take care of some, well, kingdom stuff. You want an escort down?"

"I want to stay up here, maybe clear up my mind."

Bowser nods before saying his goodbyes and walking towards the elevators. Now alone, Peach sighs as she lays on her back, once again gazing at the stars.

"Oh, how I miss my life. Please come soon, Mario. The Kingdom needs to be safe once again."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: I finally got this chapter done! I've been extremely picky with this chapter, even more so than most of the other chapters of this story, which explains why it took almost a year just to edit this chapter. Not to mention workloads I had to perform putting me on a semi-hiatus. The next chapter definitely shouldn't be taking that long.
> 
> Also, an actual chapter without any interludes, POV switches or breaks of any kind! That won't happen too often either!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it so far!


	6. Quite the Upset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach finds the Koopalings' hangout and asks them questions relating to Bowser. As she's escorted to her room, she also learns of grave news back home. Eager to take care of the news stacking on a strange conversation involving Bowser, Peach takes matters into her own hands.

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard I: Foundations**

* * *

**Chapter VI**

**Quite the Upset**

* * *

Lying on the balcony's floor still stargazing, Peach sighs in content. With her castle placed in the midst of the Mushroom Kingdom's largest, most-bustling city, only about a dozen brightest stars become visible to her on a typical night, weather-permitting. She's always heard whenever the skies clear up, Dark Land's splendid stargazing rivals even Desert Land's spectacular shows. Peach never thought twice about the night skies in the past months due to the poor visibility from her castle, but seeing the heavenly lights at their peak almost changes her life.

The princess continues staring at the skies in amazement. Oh, how she yearns doing this with Mario! Perhaps, she'll arrange a sort of night picnic in the rural, unpopulated countryside, where they can relax and gaze at the skies, pondering about the great adventures awaiting them in the future as they do so. She can't remember the last time she's been away with Mario on any occasion other than official kingdom business, except for their ill-fated trip to Isle Delfino. With her being kidnapped during her supposed honeymoon vacation, another trip's well-deserved.

A shiver overruns Peach, trembling her entire body before dissipating as quick as it came. Due to the high concentrations of lava and volcanoes in the Land, she'd never thought cold temperatures would plague Dark Land with the Sun's absence. Perhaps the uncommon clear skies replacing the more common ash clouds play a role in the dramatic cooldown; after all, at least in the Mushroom Kingdom, and especially in Desert Land, clouds do have an insulating impact. Sighing again, this time in exhaustion, Peach decides to head back inside.

The princess stretches as she stands up before she walks towards the elevator and pushes the elevator's down button. By the time she recognizes the clonking of the elevator's gears, Peach shivers from how nippy the air became. She may be in Dark Land, but it's also mid-April; she didn't think twice about bringing a blanket or anything insulating. What feels like years later, the elevator's door opens. As she enters and presses the button for the second floor, Peach rubs her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

She arrives on the second floor without incident and strolls down the halls. Peach knows her bedroom's on this floor, but despite her numerous kidnappings, she's unfamiliar with this sector of the second story, and Bowser never guided her through. Guess the duty's all up to her.

When the hallway reaches a fork, Peach turns to the right, figuring that right is… Well, right. Despite nighttime falling upon the castle, Peach detects commotion and music emitting from behind the first door in the hallway. She peeks into the room and spots all seven koopalings, each one preoccupied in an activity they enjoy. Ludwig bangs on the piano, Lemmy, Larry and Iggy battle each other on Super Smash Brothers, Roy and Morton jeer and mock the players, and Wendy gossips on a newly-replaced cellphone.

"Hahahahaha! Gotcha, Larry!" Lemmy cheered, resulting in the youngest koopaling rolling his eyes.

"You got lucky, that's all," Larry retorted, putting the controller down and folding his arms.

"Larry lost! Bwahahaha!" Morton points a claw at the youngest koopaling and laughs, "Hahahaha!"

"Loser!" Roy added in his jeer, "Larry da Loser!"

"Hahahahahaaaaaaa!" Iggy cackled, "The L's do fit!"

"Rrrr…" Larry growls and picks up his controller, "Let's do this again. We'll see who the loser is this time!"

"You?" Morton jeered, "You lose more than Burt Reynolds!"

"What? Who's that?" the youngest questioned, "Let's start this game! I'm no loser!"

Remembering the play-fights she used to have with Daisy when they were younger, Peach giggles at the banter going on among the koopalings, prompting surprised expressions from the five koopalings as they focus their attention on her.

"Uhh, hi Peach," Lemmy greeted, turning a slight red in embarrassment, "How long were you here?"

"Long enough to hear your banter," Peach smiled, resulting in the five koopalings scratching their heads. From being around Bowser, Peach suspects that the action's the koopas' natural way of showing embarrassment rather than confusion. To be frank, she finds the inherited behavior to be… Well, cute yet silly, "Don't worry, I liked it. It's a… Unique way to bond, but if it works, then all power to you!"

Hearing a new voice introduced into the chaos, Ludwig and Wendy divert their attention towards Peach, both bearing confused looks.

"Vhy, greetings, Madame," Ludwig addressed before getting up from his piano bench and approaching Peach, "Vhat brings you to zis chaotic lounge vunce again?"

"I got lost finding my room. With the amount of times I get kidnapped, you'd think I know where it'd be, but I still don't," Peach sighed, earning a grin from Ludwig.

"Don't fret, quite the labyrinth makes up zis castle's layout. At times, even I fail to manage ze multiple hallways, and ve all know how I am vith problem-solving," he replied in a more comforting tone, "I or vun of ze siblings of mine vill guide you to your room vhenever you vant to leave."

"Thanks!" Peach voiced with gratitude, albeit too nice a tone for her kidnapper.

"Aww, stop with da formalities and give us da grub," Roy breaks into the conversation with a forceful, conniving voice, "How's you and Pops?"

Ludwig sighs at the bald koopaling's question. Ever since the cursed ability to speak settled on Roy, the burly koopaling insisted on digging into the personal lives of everyone, even if he won't be affected by it. Of course, Ludwig's thankful Roy almost never take his desire a step farther as Larry's does, but the nosiness always gets on the eldest koopaling's nerves.

"Younger brother, ve don't address anyvun like zat, especially our superiors, and especially vith questions like zat," Ludwig scolded before turning to Peach, "A zousand apologies for my brozzer's behaviour. Some of us didn't take etiquette classes, evidently."

'It's not etiquette to mastermind a kidnapping of a newly-wedded bride either, but hell if I know,' Peach thought with contempt. Instead, she replies, "No worries. I'll answer the question anyway. Your father went to do some kingdom business, so he's in his room for the night. He gave me a tour of the castle, and that's all, really."

"Aww man, nuttin close to givin' dat weddin' dress some use?" Roy questioned, earning giggles from the five younger koopalings.

"ROY!" Ludwig scolded when he saw a speechless and blushing Peach, "Vhat did I say about ze questions?! Now apologize for zat!"

"Gee, sorry, bro. Learn to lighten up, why don't ya," Roy grumbled before he turned to Peach, "Uhh, sorry?"

Peach giggles at the halfhearted apology-and the scene in general, "The question just threw me off, that's all! Don't be too hard on Roy now. And no, I'm still married to Mario, and it's staying that way."

Roy opens his mouth to voice what appears to be yet another smart-aleck reply, but closes it when he notices a glare from the eldest koopaling.

"But actually, since I'm here anyway," Peach added, "And all seven of you are here, I just want to ask… What are your opinions of your father?"

None of the seven koopalings respond until a fidgeting Larry pipes up.

"Uhh, he's cool. There are times when he's busy with the kingdom and we never see him other than for dinner, but there's other times when he spends his day doing nothing but hanging around with us," he musters, earning six agreeing nods.

"Yeah," Morton continued, "Something about not wanting to turn out like our Granddaddy Morton. Dad always told us that Grandpa was always busy."

"He used to always take us on trips for fun," Lemmy reminisced with a slight smile, "He still does, though not as often. I have great memories of the Real World."

"Like, he gives me everything!" Wendy squealed, earning eye rolls from the six males.

"He encouraged me with inventions," Iggy commented, "Though half the time he also got angry when they didn't work, I still sensed that encouragement from deep somewhere. Somehow. It's weird, but it's there, I swear!"

"He taught me to be tough and beat da snot outta yer hubby! I was his best student!" Roy boasted.

While the five younger koopalings held back giggles, Ludwig rolls his eyes at Roy before adding in his own comment.

"As you know, I am ze Crown Prince of Dark Land, and I'll take over ze kingdom vhen Fazzer passes on to ze vorld of spirits, or is othervise unable to do so. I have ze blessing to vork close to him. He really does care about ze kingdom as a whole. Of course he cares about power too; it's in ze Koopa DNA, but he also does vhat's best for ze kingdom rather than just himself. Again, as my dear younger brother stated, he mentions Morton Sr. as the reason why."

Peach nods at the answer each koopaling gave. She always thought the koopalings were abused by their father, or, at the very least, ignored. Even when kidnapped, Peach never saw Bowser's family side, so she never knew how the koopalings felt. Again, koopa stereotypes that Bowser's father helped solidify, and she's glad she debunked those stereotypes.

"I haven't expected those answers. Thanks for the enlightenment."

All seven koopas nod, still paying rapt attention to Peach.

"Well, that's your father. I was wondering if you guys remembered-"

She sights Ludwig, Lemmy and Roy moving their claws horizontally against their necks as she continues, as if telling her to cut off what she's saying. Confused, she acknowledges the gesture.

"Nevermind. I'm gonna head out to my room. I'm too tired to even remember my own questions."

Seeing the four younger koopalings express confused looks at the unfinished question, Ludwig comments in a reassuring way.

"Lemmy, Roy and I vill valk Peach to her room. She's had a long day, vhich leads me to conclude zat she's psychologically exhausted. Just go back to vhat you all vere doing before.

"Okay," they reply. At the dismissal, the younger four continue to do the activities they were doing before Peach entered, seeming to be unfazed from their earlier dialogue.

* * *

"What was that back there?" Peach questioned, curious on why the koopalings were eager to cut her off.

"What was your question gonna be next?" Lemmy requested.

"About your mother."

Ludwig, Lemmy and Roy weren't surprised, and instead they shake their heads.

"Ve knew it. It's not vise to talk about or even mention our Mozzer to our younger siblings," Ludwig requested, "At least not yet. Ignatius may remember bits and pieces, but he, Vendy and Morton were too young. Lawrence didn't even hatch vhen she passed on."

Lemmy nodded, "After hearing how she died, we took it hard, especially due to our age and how we weren't blessed to grow with her. Me, Ludwig and Roy didn't want the rest of our siblings to go through the same pain, so all we told them is she died, or she won't be coming home. We didn't tell them how."

Peach nods in understanding. Initially she'd been hurt and confused by them cutting her off, but if it's to protect their siblings, then… Well, so be it.

"Well, okay," Peach said, "How did she die anyway?"

"Well, it's…" Lemmy attempted to throw out, though little sobs prevent him from doing so. Ludwig didn't look too overjoyed at the question either. Roy, however, stood strong enough to reply back to the princess.

"It's still a tough topic for us; Lems and Lud here are older so dey knew Mom better dan I did, but I still remember her enough to write up a novel," Roy shook his head, "But even years and years since den, it's still tough, man. You should hit up Pops for dat info. It involves family drama with our grandpa, aunt and uncles. But short story. It involved a civil war."

"Civil war? Dark Land?" Peach inquired, surprised she doesn't recall such events.

"Yea. Just before them Mario Bruddas came to da Mushroom Kingdom," Roy explained, "It affected everywhere when we were younger. Pops had servants take us three to da Real World to hide out from our uncle. One servant took Kooky to Austria, another took Lems to Canada and a servant took me in hiding between Brooklyn and a summer house in Massachusetts. We all lived in hidin' 'til a few months after Morty was hatched. Well, me anyway, I was da last to return cuz Kamella's bad at parenting."

"Or, in other vords, I grew up vith manners, sophistication, hard work and respect. Meanvhile, as you saw in ze gameroom, Roy grew up a spoiled, inconsiderate, stuck-up American."

Roy rolls his eyes at the comment while Peach, ignoring Ludwig's outburst, nods at the explanation.

"That explains your accents. I always wondered."

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

"Yup Missy, straight from Brooklyn."

Peach nods before questioning, “But still… Don’t you think your siblings should know the truth?”

All three shake their heads at once.

"I'm sure Iggy remembers her a bit, but they're all young still, and all four of them have confidence issues in some sense, though Wendy and Morton don't have them as bad as Iggy and Larry," Lemmy responded, "So we thought it'd be best to wait to tell them. We told Dad and he agreed."

"Well… Okay," Peach sighs, expressing doubt over the agreement. In her opinion, every child deserves to know the fate of their parent, of their guardian; any family member. Not telling them is hiding the truth, and hiding the truth leads to a dangerous, disastrous doorway of distrust, "Thanks for walking me to my room anyway. I don't think I'd ever find it by myself."

"No problem, Madame."

As the princess enters her room, the three koopalings walk away, most likely returning to the lounge. With privacy ensured, Peach flips on the television, desiring to relax and unwind before bed.

Since Dark Land contains minimal networks compared to the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach almost never watches anything save for reality TV shows. Much to Peach's surprise, the TV reveals the official state-owned Dark Land News Central, which, of course continues broadcasting biased "news" against Mario, such as putting up a graphic indicating how many goombas he killed this week as well as the amount of coins that "magically" appeared in his bank.

Rolling her eyes at the constant propaganda, Peach almost changes the channel before a breaking news update redirects her attention.

"We have breaking news!" the purple-shelled female koopa troopa news anchor reported as blinking red lights surround her. Not long after, a picture of Peach's parents appears all throughout the news studio, grasping Peach's attention, "DLNC has received reports that the King and Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom have disappeared! This comes just days after the disappearance of Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom! We have our Mushroom Kingdom analyst, Chalgoom, to explain what may happen with the Kingdom now."

Peach's heart skips a beat at the news. Where are they? Where could they have gone? Are they safe? Is this why Mario hasn't come yet? How will the Kingdom fare?

"Come to no surprise, expect Dark Land to be blamed for these disappearances. There's no official reports from Kastle Koopa yet," Chalgoom reported to the koopa troopa anchor, "But meanwhile, with the three most prominent power figures of the Kingdom gone now, power may be split in either two ways in this current power vacuum. Either the longest-ruling king of the individual lands, which appears to be the King of Pipe Land, will take over until one of the three returns, or the rule will go to Mario due to his marriage to Peach. We don't know how it'll go; as written in law, Mario's marriage will need to last at least a year before he can assume royal duties, but despite the custom, he receives definite support from Grass Land, Desert Land and Giant Land. There's been unrest involving Mario in Water Land, Pipe Land and Ice Land due to Mario's dislike of economic programs there, so I see those three supporting the King of Pipe Land's rule. The real interests come from how Sky Land will react, due to their outspoken respect of common law, and despite its small population size, ultimately that Land will be the make-or-break area to decide who will rule. Either way, if things don't get fixed immediately, unrest, trade wars or even a civil war may happen in the Kingdom."

The breaking news alerts fade away while the anchor thanks the "expert" and continues to spew propaganda, but Peach still shows a stunned expression. How did she not see this coming? The potential feud between Mario and the Pipe King will risk the safety of the kingdom! She needs to go back there and take over! She'll also need to let Bowser know; maybe he could provide some ideas…

Oh boy… She's about to ask BOWSER, of all people… But it's worth the attempt.

She exits her room and sprints down the hall towards Bowser's chambers. She's close to knocking on his door, but as her gloved knuckle hovers in midair, Peach overhears a conversation involving Bowser.

"Oh, yes, she's at my castle right now. I got her back not long ago."

Peach crinkles her face in confusion. Who's at his castle? Other than her, Wendy, some servants and Kammy, there aren't any women!

"She got back to my castle yesterday."

Now she knows he's talking about her!

"I'll be willing to sell her to you."

Wait, what? Selling her? Is this what it's all about? Is this Mario on the phone?

"She's a fine one; very beautiful and sleek. I'll have to charge you more than the others."

'WHAT?! Is this even legal? In the Mushroom Kingdom, people would be arrested for… Uhh, Selling people!' Peach thought.

"I'll get her ready, first thing in the morning. I'll have one of my sons spruce up her gears then I'll take her to you, and she'll be yours. Which parking lot?"

Peach was horrified. She didn't know what to even think anymore. She didn't know what Bowser meant by that sentence, but she's not letting any koopaling male near her.

"Yeah, that parking lot's far from the public, so it'd be the best for both of us. She'll be yours forever."

At this point, Peach felt as if she was going to throw up. She didn't even bother knocking on Bowser's door; he MUST be in on the plan of her parents' kidnappings, because why would Bowser attempt to get rid of her by selling her?

Instead, she dashes down the stairs and into the south wing of the castle. At least Bowser showed her where the door was.

To her infinite relief, no koopatrol guards stand on sight. With no hesitation, she bursts through the doors and sprints out of the castle grounds. If Mario wasn't going to rescue her now, she'll just make her own way home. There's too much going on, and the Kingdom needs her steady hand in this unstable mess.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Bowser's phone conversation…

"Yes, she's all cleaned. The servants spent the day doing that yesterday. You can still inspect her once we get there."

"Why yes, that'd be marvelous, sir," the guy on the phone agreed in a posh accent, "9 in the morning tomorrow at the airport's parking lot it is?"

"Yes," Bowser accepted, "I can promise you, she will be the most luxurious, smooth doomship you'll ever pilot."

"It's a deal. I'll pay for it there, partner."

The two disconnect from the call as Bowser gets up from his chair and onto his bed. Tomorrow's going to be quite the busy day, perhaps in more ways than one, although he's unsure why.

* * *

**End** **of** **Shard I: Foundations**


	7. Lavender's for Lovers True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After fleeing the Castle, Peach meets a mysterious toad, in which the princess shares her current predicament with.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

_Peach finds out unfortunate news about the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as Bowser's supposed plans for her, causing her to flee back home. Once at her castle, she stumbles upon several unfortunate ancient Koopan prophesies—which may explain her history of being kidnapped—while noticing the strangeness concerning her parents' disappearances, as well as the behaviours of Mario, Daisy, Luigi and others._

* * *

**Chapter VII**

**Lavender's for Lovers True**

* * *

Infuriation rushes through Peach; she can't bear that castle any longer, not with the current crisis occurring in her kingdom. What would her subjects say about her if she stayed for longer than she did even without the aid of Mario? What would happen if she was "sold" to someone? Was that why Bowser kept her and used some random koopa lore from centuries ago as an excuse?

As the princess traverses deeper into the Dark Land woods, so too do the worrying thoughts coupled with the most nagging of questions: why didn't Mario come to save her? Why didn't he show up?

"I can do this. I saved Mario once."

Despite those words engraved in her head, a shiver overcomes her. Due to her spike of adrenaline from the panic-induced exercise, Peach's warmth endures against the harsh air temperature, much to her surprise.

By contrast, the trembling wasn't a result of cold, but from fear. As she ventures deeper into the untamed, eerie woods, she affirms a supernatural squall-like sensation. A sinister strait's shaping up; nothing's natural about the suspenseful occurrences. The light scarcity bestows a dim luminosity, creating a brutal situation for the princess to comprehend.

"Isn't it ironic. Hours ago I was happy about the new moon. Now because the moon's invisible, I can't see where I'm going. And now some supernatural spirit will kill me. Fun vacation!"

She may be overthinking concerning the bizarre nature of the woods; nonetheless, such an accusation comes together. She's uninformed about these forests, and according to Mushroomer lore, Dark Land's a cursed terrain which bore the brunt of numerous cold-blooded regimes, genocides and conflicts. Throughout the commotion, she cannot doubt the possibility of a vengeful spirit finding its way into the wooded wilderness.

She continues on in silence, hoisting up an arm before her to prevent smacking her head on the numerous trees' branches. Not long after, Peach senses the woods' concentration decline until she arrives at a barren plain.

"I think those plains lead to Pipe Land," Peach attempted to exclaim, envisioning the return home; about showering. Instead, the excitement's disguised in the fatigued feeling she's exhibited for hours.

Peach needs to sleep, here and now. She couldn't believe that just earlier this morning, she woke up in her archenemy's stronghold, kidnapped for the umpteenth time during her supposed honeymoon. Even as a princess, the confrontations, tours, dinners and hangouts with her archenemies exhaust her.

Realising the overbearing drowsiness, Peach lies on the grass. At this point, neither bugs nor dirt covering her dress bother her; if she were any more alert, she'd throw a fit about creeping, crawling things climbing on her, but her current situation prevents her from acting unthankful.

As her eyes beg to close, she still sees the remarkable sky. The same sky she looked at on top of Bowser's castle. Staring at the sky, she ponders: even in the most corrupt, desolate places, the skies above will be the same, albeit different luminosities. These stars—they're the same stars Mario's able to gaze upon, and she also hopes they're the identical stars her parents observe.

* * *

Unlike most mornings, Peach rises before the Sun. She's unsure of the duration of her sleep, but considering she stayed at the castle until well after dusk, Peach figures she didn't rest long enough.

Ever since her earliest memories, camping affected her in a peculiar manner. On the seldom times she camps, she'd snooze a few hours maximum before she'd wake up. Of course, grogginess tends to still overtake her, but her eyes would also be too sore to close.

Noticing she's still outdoors, Peach sighs. She's not even close to the Mushroom Kingdom from her estimates, but at least she's far enough from Bowser that she won't need to worry about him coming. Of course, she hopes he won't chase her at all.

She also gasps in disbelief as she studies her wedding dress. Wearing the dress for 48 hours straight, running through the woods and then sleeping on the damp ground put a toll on the fabric. The trees tore off several sections of the dress while stains from the semi-muddy grasslands surrounding the woods manifest themselves throughout the dress.

"My dress!" Peach sobbed, still looking at the destroyed dress. She always learned that, just like the marriage, the wedding dress should always be preserved, else ill-fated luck will happen, "I wanted to keep this as a reminder of the happiest day of my life!"

She wants to mourn the loss of her symbol of love but Peach also yearns to continue the journey home. She's on her own through this, and the sole way she'll set foot back in the Mushroom Kingdom is if she stands back up and continues moving.

Peach stands up, stretching as she lets out a yawn. The sun peeks over the horizon before coming out in full-force. The princess looks around at the landscape, mesmerized; this may be Dark Land, but an entire field of wild lavender lies in front of her, complete with a lake in the distance. Due to the sheer show of nature from the lack of the volcanic air's effects, she figures she's close to Pipe Land and the Pipe Maze.

"Well, time to walk. Probably to the lake."

Peach continues walking east, hoping she won't be dehydrated until she arrives at her destination. The walk proves to be far more relaxing; she prefers strolling through lavender rather than dodging trunks and branches of trees in the Dark Land Woods in the dark.

As she approaches the lake, Peach sights smoke brewing from the north bank. At first, she thinks part of the field caught fire until a modest, wood-and-brick house becomes more apparent. People live here? She understands why due to the land's beauty, but this area's at least hours from the nearest civilization.

Peach can't judge people on the decisions; this one made her life easier. She should check if the cabin's resident will offer her food. Having been hours since her last bite, she's able to think only with her stomach.

Another ten minutes of walking and she stumbles upon the front door of the building; throughout that time, the desire for food intensifies. Peach hopes whoever's present in the cabin will be generous enough to take her in and supply her necessities.

Crossing her fingers on one hand, Peach knocks on the door with the other.

"Grr, I told them I'd give it to them next week when I'm in town!" a shout came from behind the door. The door then opened, revealing an elderly toad; perhaps this is her forever-retirement home. That conclusion makes more sense regarding the isolation, "I told you to-"

The toad pauses her yelling brigade as she sights Peach.

"Oh, my my my, I'm sorry for the shouting, sweetie," the woman greets Peach before cupping her palms over her mouth, "Oh my! Look at you, you poor thing! You've got to tell me why you're in a wedding dress! And a dirty one at that!"

"Well, uhh," Peach replied, "It's a long story."

"Long story? Then come on in! I insist! I won't take no for an answer! Make yourself at home! Long stories deserve a meal and some tea!" the toad invited in, "By the way, the name's Ella."

Peach smiled before saying her name, "And I'm Peach."

* * *

Dawn approaches the Koopa castle, and the then-quiet fortress now bustles with busy baddies. Some servants had to open the multiple offices in Kastle Koopa while the obligation of preparing breakfast for the royal family fell upon the shoulders of others.

Joining in on the bustle, Bowser leaves his room and enters the dining area where Ludwig, Larry, and Lemmy—the so-called Breakfast L-Gang—enjoy a stack of pancakes at the table. In all honesty, he'd be surprised if any of the other four koopalings came down for breakfast while the staff still served it; the other four hate waking up early more than they even hate Mario. Bowser should've been stricter on them in that regard, but Wendy, Roy and Morton are grouchy enough with adequate sleep, and he doesn't want to deal with them.

"Hey Dad!" Lemmy greeted. Bowser smiles and waves at his kids.

"Good morning. I see the typical morning 'L-Gang' is still going strong," he replies as he sits at his usual spot at the table. Quick as the Sun, a servant places a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of the king, who thanks him before continuing, "Anyway, I can't be long today, I have a deal with selling one of the older doomships."

"Vhich vun?" Ludwig questioned, hoping it wasn't his or any of his siblings'. He's always had an attachment to his ship and his siblings'; Ludwig built five of them from scratch. Although he didn't build Iggy's or Lemmy's, he's repaired and renovated them to the point where the current designs fail to relate to the original designs. Sure, the newer models that he and Iggy constructed fly better, but they still haven't been battle-tested.

"One of the old ships in my fleet. I swear an idling car accidentally left in Drive instead of Park goes faster than that thing. The guy wants endurability rather than speed."

"Nice," Larry nodded, "So you're upgrading your ships now?"

"Mhm," Bowser mumbled as he takes a large bite out of the stack of pancakes, "Ludwig and Iggy already upgraded the ships for all seven of you, as well as my main, speedy one. The rest still need to be done."

"Ve are vorking on it, even as ve speak, Fazzer," Ludwig reassured, "But ze engineers and technicians have zeir annual leaves ze next two weeks."

"No worries, son, I just hope war doesn't start up between now and then," Bowser mumbled with the last bites of pancake and bacon in his mouth, "But I should be off now, don't want to be late. Stay good, and maybe check on Peach around dinner time if I'm not back by then. She probably had a long night last night too and needs all the rest she can get, so don't check beforehand."

"Sounds good, Dad," Lemmy waved, "Bye!"

* * *

"Now, dear," Ella told Peach after she gives her a bowl of lemon-parmesan pasta and a mug of lavender tea. Despite such a dinner-like breakfast, Peach nods in gratitude before voicing out a thank-you.

Despite the great hospitality Ella gave her, caution arises in Peach; she isn't too sure on whether to give the entire truth of the story or to shave off the part about both her husband and her kidnapper being royal. Toadsworth always cautioned her about the toads living in Dark Land; they may be the same species, but they tend to have more loyalty towards the Koopa Kingdom than the Mushroom Kingdom. She doesn't know a speck about Ella, after all.

With Toadsworth's warning in mind, Peach approaches the latter option.

"I was getting married to my now-husband. During the reception, all went well, until I just passed out. I don't even know how I did," Peach explained her story to the toad.

"You suddenly passed out? Dear, that's quite the fright!" the elderly toad gasped in suspense, "Was it a medical issue? Those aren't good when you're trying to start life, no no!"

Peach shakes her head. She remembers a gassy cloud before passing out, but before it spawned, she heard a scream out in the distance; one of a woman. Could it have been her parents? Did Bowser take her parents too?

No… He couldn't have. Peach remembers them being with her when the scream occurred.

"That's the part that gets me too," Peach answered, "I didn't know how I passed out. But that's when the next part of the story comes into play."

Rather than uttering a comment, the toad pays rapt attention to the princess, genuinely interested in the princess' tale.

"I woke up in a room, originally thinking I was on vacation with my husband. However, it happened to be the house of my husband's enemies in Dark Land," Peach explained. She's better off not telling the toad that Bowser's the enemy. Darklandian toads may have more of an allegiance to the Koopa Troop than the Mushroom Royalty, after all.

"Wow! Oh Lord Toady!" the toad gasped, "That's scary! What did you do after?"

"Well, he warned me that my husband is evil. I, of course, didn't believe him, but I sort of got… Attached to his family," Peach thought back to yesterday, "I mean, it's pathetic! I only spent one day with them! And, well…"

"Well what?"

"I would continue living with them until Ma—" Peach once again refrained from mentioning more personal information, "My husband rescued me, but… Getting attached to the family of your husband's enemy is bad enough; I wanted to get away from that. That itself was reason for me to run away, but I also caught him talking about selling something. I was thinking it was me, or at least some other girl, so I ran."

"Oh Peach, dear, I'm so relieved you got out of that horrifying environment!" Ella gasped, "You know how the King of the Koopas can be like! It's a scary place to put yourself."

"Yeah, scary but oddly comfortable in some way-" Peach attempts to pause before saying those words, but it's too late. The toad played a trick on her in order for Peach to reveal herself, and the plan came with success, "I mean-"

"I knew all along you were Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom," Ella explained, "I heard from the Mushroom Kingdom news that you defected from the Mushroom Kingdom, and you allied with Dark Land, wedding dress and all. Not everyone wears wedding dresses on their day-to-day activities, hun."

Peach doesn't know whether to be surprised that Ella knew who she was, or that a rumor about her joining the Koopa Troop started. Both of those revelations leave a gaping, bottomless pit in her stomach.

"But don't worry, dear," Ella pats Peach's back, seemingly aware of her anguish, "There's a reason I moved to Dark Land's countryside. It's so I can get away from those intolerant toads in the Mushroom Kingdom, while at the same time, isolating myself from any koopa settlements due to their intolerance against toads. This was the best fit. In no way am I part of the Koopa Troop, so don't fret."

Peach nods her head in understanding. She's relieved Ella won't do anything, but the rumors of her joining in on the Koopa Troop had her upset. Is this why Mario decided not to rescue her? She has several questions for him once she arrives home.

She continues eating the tangy, yet satisfying pasta while sipping on the lavender tea. The tea's taste matches the fantastic aroma, although the smell reminds her of her Castle's laundry room. Amid the nice smell, she couldn't take the thought of dirty clothes from out her mind, or dirtiness in general. Not being able to enjoy the tea in its fullness, Peach sets the tea down and stands up.

"Well, I should make my way to Pipe Land. I should be able to get a pipe to the Mushroom Kingdom there," Peach excused herself, "Mind if I get some water first?"

"Oh, go ahead! There're some water bottles in the fridge, dearie," Ella nodded before offering advice, "Anyway, dear, all will work out. However, things tend to get worse before they get better, so keep that in mind."

"Thanks for everything. I feel relieved now."

"Anytime, dear!" the mushroomer replied as she guides Peach outside, "If you're around these parts for whatever reason, always feel free to visit!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach continues her trek home. Meanwhile, the Koopas remain oblivious to her disappearance, until they try to summon her...

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

**Princess Fled the Koopa Koop!**

* * *

"Geez, when's Dad coming back?"

Iggy paces around the laboratory as Ludwig ponders over his recent invention blueprints. In spite of their dad selling one of the doomships due to its defensives rather than its speed, both of them plan to create a product that will combine the two into a wondrous compromise. They plan on testing the product on Ludwig's, Roy's and Morton's doomships before putting it on everyone else's, Bowser's included.

"No idea, little brozzer," Ludwig replied, eyes glued on the page, "Anyvay, ze doomship's plating zhould be able to use tungsten, chromium and vanadium steel, but titanium vould be best."

"Due to its density," Iggy, who already knows what Ludwig's on about, adds on.

"Correct. Vanadium steel's a great metal to use in defence, hence mine, Roy's and Morton's doomships containing such compounds, but titanium's less zan half the veight of ze steel per cubic centimeter, and much, much less zan tungsten. Not to mention, pure chromium metal and koopas… don't necessarily mix vell in biological terms."

"Figured. That's why I want Dad to buy more titanium. Titanium by the ton, too! But Roy and Morton messed that up!"

Ludwig nods his head. Roy, and to a lesser extent Morton, struggle whenever any other sibling harnesses any sort of authority. Both of them foiled Ludwig's plans multiple times due unwillingness to share any sort of glory. Rather than pondering on the subject more, the eldest koopaling studies his notes and notices another issue.

"So, ze notes of mine here. Zink it's best ve just coat ze doomships in ze metal, zen just put vood over them? I like ze vooden structures; it makes ze doomships appear more auzentic, but if zat sacrifices ze full potential of ze metal, zen it's best not to."

"I agree with the authentic thing," Iggy nodded, "If stuff covers the outside, it should be fine. When I created the robots we used when we took over Jewelry Land, I put mainly paint and insulation on the outsides on all of them. Mine and Larry's bots, I made even fancier to make them fit in with the ocean since our bots were underwater, while I made Roy's fit the air more... Roy's bot, unfortunately, still worked. If anything, we survived longer than the rest of you guys."

"So you zink it should be fine zen?" Ludwig questioned, "Zen so be it. Ve should get started-"

"DINNER!" a voice called from upstairs. Their project halted, they both let out a large sigh.

"Interrupted, vunce again. Let's get ze Princess."

* * *

The lavender fields passed Peach long ago; now only vast grasslands fill the area between her and the pipes. Relief overcomes the princess as she notices how close she is to being in her own kingdom. Not only that, but this moment may be the first time in her life that she rescued herself from Bowser, rather than having to depend on Mario, Luigi or Yoshi. Sure, she adventured before, such as the ill-fated trip to Sub-con, but even during those times, she depended, in one form or another, on the rest of the gang.

Curiosity causes Peach to turn around. Behind her, an almost-endless sea of purple fills the landscape, stretching all the way to the horizon; no sign of Ella's house or the lake. She's far from the woods; far from Bowser. The situation only gets better.

Now looking forward, Peach exhales in anticipation. She's able to see the faint figurines of tall pipes on the horizon to her east; Peach only needs to journey a few kilometers at the most to reach a pipe to the Castle. She's close to home, close to the life she lived for all her life, and close to the circumstances she's comfortable with.

Attempting to push out the rumours Ella told her out of her head, Peach instead summons happy thoughts. She'll spend time in her castle, she'll be with Mario and she'll be with her friends. Her life will be back to normal and she'll rule the Mushroom Kingdom while authorities search for her parents. A diplomatic crisis, or even a full-blown civil war, will be averted. All will be well.

Peach gazes at the pipes out in the distance. Thinking about returning to her normal life made the journey not seem so bad after all. Plus, no woods or rugged terrain separates Peach from the Pipe Maze, and this area's nowhere near Bowser-friendly.

* * *

"Larry! Roy! Morton! Wendy! Aren't we supposed to wait for Peach?"

Larry, Roy, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy all sit at the dining room table with a sort of stir fry dish from Chai. While the former four stuff their faces with food, Lemmy expresses concern over the breaking of tradition.

"It was, like, a tradition for one night," Wendy responded, "Daddy's not here to enforce any rules. We can totally do what we want. Duh!"

"Sis gotta point, big bro," Roy butted in, "Plus dat Peachy-Peach's probably dreamin' bout dem Mario invasions or whatever women dream about."

"Well… Okay," Lemmy conceded before dishing up his plate.

"Plus I been tharvin' ever thince I woke up," Morton added, his stir fry-packed mouth causing him to slur his words, "Growin' Koopa's gotta eat."

"Why're you so cautious lately, Lem?" Larry questioned with curiosity.

Lemmy looks up from his plate and scoffs, "Wouldn't you be after getting dragged by the tail from Dark Land to Grass Land for unintentional disobedience?"

Being a spy, Larry knows full well the wrath of his father. Bowser knows his son well; even with his advanced spy background, Larry still finds hurdles preventing him from spying on Bowser, from the king soundproofing his throne room to shrinking ventilation pipes. Once in a blue moon, Larry passes such circumstances, only to result in Bowser catching him and giving him 'the grounding of a lifetime' involving painful tail-draggings and the dungeon.

"Eh, good point," Larry acknowledged before turning back to his food, "But I'm still eating."

Shrugging, Lemmy digs in with the other four, none of them talking to each other the majority of the time. However, as each of the five finish up, Ludwig and Iggy bolt in, worry written all over their faces.

"Guys!" Iggy huffed, "It's Peach!"

"Ze fled ze coop!" Ludwig added, "Have you zeen her?!"

The five koopalings look around the dining room, puzzled. Lemmy starts worrying with them while the other four brush off the concern.

"She's probably just hiding," Larry offered, "How many times does she save herself? Think about it."

"Yeah, seriously, if a guy liked me, I would, like, totally run off and hide too!" Wendy agreed.

"Hah! Guys likin' Kootie Pie! What a joke! Ain't nobody wanna stare at her Medusa snake eyes! Turn demselves into some worn-out, crumblin' stone statue!" Roy teased, earning a death glare from Wendy, "Anyway, I can't believe I'm tellin' da two brainiacs dis, but Pink Princess probs needed, y'know, space to breathe. Do you even know how often Pops gets all up in her space?"

Iggy nods, while Ludwig scowls, "I know zat. I vas just asking. I just vonder if she's still in Dark Land."

Lemmy stated, adding on to Ludwig's concern, "We can't have her gone! We won't find her! We'll get in trouble!"

"Yeah, because it's SO hard to find her since everyone wears wedding dresses! Must be the new, Peach-inspired style now!" Morton rolls his eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Seriously guys, she'll be fine. If she ever did escape, her wedding dress wouldn't survive real well in the woods, and… Well, you know, she's not one of the vanity types."

"Feh, she's probably joggin' 'cross dem Grass Land plains now," Roy remarked.

"I hope zat, in ze holy name of science, zat she isn't," Ludwig hoped, "Don't you know vhat vould happen if she vent back since she left?"

"Oh yeah? All the crap about the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land being taken over?" Morton questioned before responding, "You should've thought about that before kidnapping her, ay Lug?"

"… You're still blaming me, Morton?"

"Aye."

"Silence yourself zen," Ludwig commanded as he and Iggy turns away from the table, "You five have nozzing vorthy to add onto the investigation of Peach's vhereabouts, so I vill not vaste my time being around an intellectual black hole of a dining room. Hence, I vill converse vith Kamek about zis occurrence. Grab me if any of you find ze Princess."

With those departing words, both Ludwig and Iggy leave, not even bothering to eat any of the food on the table, nor bothering to comprehend the five sets of scowls.

* * *

Peach feels as if she can breathe easier. She's now in the safety of Pipe Land; back in her kingdom and away from Bowser. During the normal days in her life, the musky smell associated with aging pipes would've bothered the princess to no extent. The scent, this time, only confirms she's in a safe, secure location away from the koopas. If anything, the smell of run-down pipes refreshes her.

A sign for the Pipe Maze, just half a kilometer away, interrupts her train of thought. She journeyed far enough; she might as well do a tad more for the pipe.

As Peach continues, she studies the landscape. Several miniature pipes pop out throughout the ground and numerous toad farmers till their land, declaring the mid-spring rainy season to suffice for planting. Other than a few large cities far from her location, farmers converted the flat, fertile land into farmland, making Pipe Land the second-largest food producer in the Mushroom Kingdom. Unlike the more produce-abundant Grass Land, Pipe Land also has a booming technology sector in its cities; the Land's responsible for the plurality of the Mushroom Kingdom's technology, weapons and transportation machinery. Hence, Pipe Land's as vital to the Mushroom Kingdom as oil-rich Desert Land.

The technological awakening might also explain the Pipe Maze. Even as Princess, she never fully knew how the Maze came to pass, but she heard of the pipes being both from magic and from engineering.

Another sign pops up for the Pipe Maze, this time pointing to the right. By the sign, Peach spots a purple pipe in the ground with a third sign having a down arrow. Peach knew this is good news; recent color-coding represents purple pipes as being pipes leading to the Pipe Maze.

She jumps into the pipe, and for what seems like hours, she feels as if she's freefalling towards the center of the earth before she gets swung side-by-side, somehow not even hitting the sides of the pipe. After an eternity, she then feels the sensation of being hoisted into the air before popping out of a tube at the Pipe Maze.

Peach stares in awe at the destination: a well-lit cave littered with hundreds of coloured pipes. An ecstatic toad wearing a blue-spotted cap greets the princess.

"Hey! You escaping a wedding?" the toad questioned, "It happens. I almost fled during my own wedding."

"Haha, yes," Peach lied. She figured she wouldn't tell the toad who she really is just in case Ella's rumour turns out to be correct. Even then, mushroomers figure Peach would never want to be seen in such dirty attire, "I'm actually, uhh, kinda late to it."

"And you're getting wedded in THAT?" the toad interrogated as he eyes the dress. Dirt and grass stains cover the dress, while nothing more than a few strings of ripped fabric make up the train. Large gashes also appear in other areas of the dress, although not shredded.

Peach looks down, defeated; hopeless.

"Aww, don't worry. My wife's a super outdoorsy person. She'd love if her dress looked like that for our day."

Peach nods and smiles; what a great excuse! At least she can cover up the more complicated story of her being a kidnapped, abandoned princess who walked all the way to Pipe Land to get home. Even though the story adds up due to Dark Land's lack of purple pipes for obvious reasons, she won't risk telling anyone who she truly is.

"Yeah. My soon-to-be husband loves the outdoors, that's why. I'm learning to like them too," Peach managed to lie, "But can I get a pipe to Toad Town?"

"Yes you can," the toad responded before checking a computer, "Unfortunately, the Mushroom Province's Toad Town pipe is down. Would the Grass Land side of Toad Town, or the Desert Land side of Toad Town work better?"

Peach never had to bother with leaving the Mushroom Province all too much. The castle's in the Province, and if she remembers, the Grass Land side of Toad Town's much closer to the castle than Desert Land's. Desert Land's at least thirty kilometers away.

"Let's do Grass Land."

"Okay, madam," the toad acknowledged, "Let me get that set up for you."

The toad types a few lines of code into the computer and dramatically hits the Enter key. Not long after, a light green warp pipe activates and a spotlight shines over it.

"There's your pipe! Good luck at the wedding!"

Peach thanks him and jumps in the pipe. The same feeling of freefalling before freefloating occurs before she once again pops out another pipe.

This time, she expects to be in the middle of a business district, with hundreds of toads walking around carrying goods. Instead, she pops up on the east side of her own castle.

 _'What?'_ she thought, looking around, _'This isn't Grass Land! I thought this pipe was broken! But I guess I'm home anyway.'_

With her concerned look switching to one of content and relief, she makes her way to the castle's front door. Oddly, no guards stand guard at the door. She knocks on the door and gasps at the person who opens it.

The person she's been wanting to see; to rescue her. From his freshly-ironed blue overalls and lavender-scented red undershirt, she knows he didn't try one bit to rescue her.

"… Mario?"


	9. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Peach arrives home, she attempts to settle into her typical, yet new life. Meanwhile, Bowser meets an unknown character wanting to buy a doomship.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

**Chapter IX**

**Home Sweet Home**

* * *

Peach and Mario exchange wide-eyed stares at each other, neither of them expecting to see the other. The former didn't know how to think of the situation. Sure, she's excited to be back home, in the security of her own castle surrounded by friends and family, but Mario standing in front of her, shocked yet unhinged, irks her. Not only didn't he rescue her, but from his lack of tire, he didn't even try.

No matter the time, place or circumstance, Mario always took the opportunity to rescue the Princess. From rescuing her during their vacation in Isle Delfino to saving her in her own castle, Peach's security always depends on him. But, knowing he didn't this time leaves quite a fishy smell to the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario will spew out his own excuses for why he didn't rescue her, and she yearns to make up excuses for him inside her head. She wants to believe kingdom affairs or other issues kept him occupied, rather than him… Well, remaining indifferent towards her security.

"Peach!" Mario beamed, "You're back!"

"Why yes, I'm back, no thanks to you!" Peach grumbled, looking away at Mario's welcoming gaze.

The red-clad plumber shifts, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. Then again, what man wouldn't be after he didn't even attempt to save his own wife?

"I… Well, there's issues," Mario admits, still shifting, "It's about your parents."

Her parents! Throughout her journey home, their disappearance slipped her mind! She knows trouble awaits her parents—she knows them well enough to figure they'd never leave their Land without prior planning—but she doesn't know their current conditions, where they are or why they're gone. Then again, Peach tends to overthink minor issues; maybe her parents went on a last-minute trip to escape their busy lives.

An entire believe-deny cycle continues flowing throughout Peach's mind as she thinks up many different possibilities of safe, alternate locations of her parents. Around her eleventh possibility, her thoughts cut out as her entire body starts quaking. She's been lost in thought to the point where she didn't even notice Mario shaking her.

"Hello? You there?" the plumber questioned, continuing to shake her. She snaps back into reality and, in shock rather than disgust, pushes Mario away. Without a spoken word, she looks at his face before glancing back to the ground.

"I-I can't believe this," Peach voiced after an eternity of silence, the realization of her parents disappearing pelting her like heavy stones, "Where could they be?!"

Mario puts an arm around Peach, bringing more comfort and courage to the princess. She fears for her parents, but from the gesture, she knows she won't be alone in her search for them.

"We'll find them," reassured Mario as he walks her into the castle, "But for now, you should change out of that dress now. That thing's destroyed!"

Peach glances down at her ripped, stained wedding dress. Considering she traveled through three treacherous lands in it, she considers the condition of the dress to be quite excellent. Perhaps the dress will represent her marriage: even though tough times threaten their marriage and their togetherness, not even the most ruthless conditions will be able to tear the entire thing into shreds. Or, so, she hopes.

But then again, what about if either one of them threatens their marriage, even if unintentional? Her dress survived the elements during her pursuit, but all this could've been prevented if only Mario came to save her from Bowser's grasps. With the thought in mind, Peach rolls her eyes before muttering her rebuttal.

"It wouldn't be destroyed if you saved me, you dork."

"Hey!" Mario protested as Peach turns away from him, "I was helping with the case of your missing parents!"

Without another word, Peach turns away from Mario and trudges upstairs to her room. She's stressed about her parents, just as she stressed over everything else the past few days, but her sore legs remind her to rest first. Perhaps a nice, warm shower will wash away both the grime and the worries from her.

Peach snatches a thick, pink towel from her closet before taking off the wedding dress. She breathes a huge sigh of relief; she didn't mind the dress, but relieving herself of a supposed-hours long dress she was forced to wear for over two days makes her feel free. A sort of freedom she never experiences other than the days she races or does other sports.

Wrapping herself in the towel, Peach makes her way towards her personal bathroom. Despite her being gone, a faint yet satisfying smell of bleach lingers throughout the bathroom; with the senior servant, Wooster, in charge of cleaning the castle, her servants always clean her bathroom every workday, even during the times she gets kidnapped. She's always thankful to have the world-class servants she does, but even the clean-loving Peach thinks they overachieve with their cleaning efforts. Either way, she's still happy whenever the pink shower curtain and rosy rugs greet her, as well as a sink stuffed with organized make-ups of all sorts, and today proves no exception.

Peach hangs the towel on the rack before turning on the faucet; to her content, a warm, steady stream of water sprays from the nozzle above. Testing the temperature with her hands and finding the water warm enough, she gets into the shower. The first thing she does is lather her hair in her favorite coconut shampoo; her thin hair combined with the dry air of Dark Land and not washing it for two days felt as if she wore a wig made of hay.

After shampooing and conditioning her hair for perhaps the dozenth time, Peach feels more content with just standing in the shower. As each stream of water collides with her skin, she feels the effects of a tasking journey washing away. She's glad to be back in civilization, joyous to be sleeping in her own soft bed again, and happy to have warm, running water—although Bowser's castle also has running warm water, it'd be too awkward to even disrobe there, let alone take a shower. She'd never do that, especially with the likes of Bowser and his 'Emperor of Eavesdropping' son Larry.

By the time Peach declares herself done, vast clouds of steam rise above the water, and every muscle of her body loosens and regains its elasticity. Now craving nothing but a nice lie-down session in her bed, Peach shuts off the water, grabs the towel and dries herself. Towel wrapped around her once again, she makes her way back to her bedroom and collapses on the bed, feeling the sudden urge to sleep, not even bothering to change into fresh clothes.

As she lays, she ponders about Mario. Her parents. Bowser. She shivers at the thought of the latter's name. Is he going to come back to get her? Is he planning to "sell" her? If he wasn't, why didn't he guard her up like he does every other trip? Is this "sale" connected to her parents' disappearance? And what if the truth's there in this Koopa Lore stuff?

Perhaps she'll never know the way that koopa thinks.

Not that she wants to; that's dangerous territory.

* * *

Far from both the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land, Bowser lands his doomship in a vast, yet empty parking lot. The landscape proves foreign; many types of plants not native to the Mushroom Kingdom dot the land, exotic sounds of birds tweeting ring in the air and, unlike Dark Land, the merciless afternoon Sun beats down upon the land's denizens.

Not only was the land exotic, but the people too. Many different colours of toads, yoshis, birdos and koopas stroll around in a busy shopping centre not far from the parking lot. Of course, his doomship's buyer appears no different: a middle-aged, blue-shelled, purple-scaled paratroopa. By the formal, professional attire the paratroopa bears, he appears to be a sort of bureaucrat rich enough to buy the entire Koopa doomship fleet with his own pocket change.

"Well, the trip was long, but I'm here," Bowser reported to the paratroopa.

"Why, welcome here to Dinosaur Land," the paratroopa greeted, "Is this the doomship?"

"Yes. And your name is… Marcin, right? We talked a few hours ago?"

"Indeed it is, sir," Marcin confirmed before gazing at the doomship, "Mind if I check her out?"

"Go ahead."

After the confirmation, Marcin walks to the stern of the doomship, putting one hand on the ship and pressing against it. Satisfied, he moves towards the bow and repeats the process.

"My, she's one sturdy ship, if I do say so myself," Marcin commented before fluttering up to the top deck of the ship, opening the door present and disappearing inside.

 _'Hopefully, all my top-secret docs aren't on this ship anymore,'_ Bowser thought as he waits for the paratroopa. Of course, there are conditions Bowser should fear about more, such as the purpose Marcin will want a war-sturdy, yet "slower" doomship, in relative terms. However, Dinosaur Land's more of a neutral land consisting of city-states in terms of Mushroomer-Koopa struggles and, other than the skirmishes between foreigners, not much violence occurs. Plus, one rebelling doomship will far from hurt the Koopa Kingdom's dozens of advanced doomships, nor will it make any dent in the Mushroom Kingdom's air fleet.

However, Bowser does have his Klown Khopper in the doomship; he'll need to take that out before Marcin flies off with it.

Not long after Bowser's thought, Marcin bursts out of the doomship's main door, a content expression engraved on his face. With a nod followed by a smile, he gives Bowser a two-thumbs-up as he approaches the king.

"She is absolutely splendid, sir," the paratroopa complimented before adding, "I reckon the clown car up there on the top deck's yours, no?"

"It is. I'm using that to return home."

Marcin nods his head before giving Bowser a folded piece of paper. The king unfolds the paper and glances at it. The paper acts as a sort of envelope for a legible cheque written in his name by Marcin, while the actual contents of the paper displayed two copies of a sort of document for the ship purchase. Bowser signs one copy and hands the signed copy, as well as the doomship's keys, to Marcin, while Bowser pockets the cheque and the unsigned copy.

"Well, the deal's finalized," Bowser mentioned, offering a stretched hand to the paratroopa. Marcin shakes Bowser's hand in return.

"Nice doing business with you. You should get that car of yours," reminded Marcin. Without another word, both get on the doomship, both satisfied with the moves they did. While Marcin activates the doomship, resulting in rumbling and roaring on all sides of it, Bowser starts up his Klown Khopper and flies away before the doomship manages to get off the ground.

Well, Bowser's not sure how the doomship will be used; it's not like a paratroopa will need a flying machine. However, if the doomship's used for evil against his kingdom, one lone ship won't prove sufficient.

* * *

Peach wakes up during the night moaning, mentally preparing herself to be in Bowser's guestroom wearing a wedding dress yet again. However, to her infinite relief, she instead wakes up in the comfort of her own, happy-pink room, and instead of a wedding dress, she only wears a towel around her body. Her heart skips a beat; learning modesty and etiquette from her parents, she never slept in the nude, even if no one else will be in the same room.

However, her hearing's so focused on her heartbeat that she didn't hear the shuffling that occurred on the other side.

"Wow, it's one in the morning. Good morning to you too," the voice stated, startling Peach even more.

After her session of mini heart attacks, Peach looks down on the other side of the bed and spots Mario. She must've passed out—towel and all—after her shower, and since they're married, Mario now sleeps with her…

She scolds herself for the thought of ultimate stupidity; of course he does, that's how marriage works!

"Ugh, sorry," the dainty princess responds, "I'm just not used to… Well…"

"Waking up in your own bed?" Mario smirked.

"That too," she giggled, "But not used to other people either. Especially… Umm, without my nightgowns on."

"Don't you and Daisy sleep with those off at your slumber parties?"

Peach and Daisy have slumber parties all the time, at least once every other week. Some nights, they'd do girly stuff like fingernail painting and gossiping, while other nights, both go complete tomboy by playing sports or going to the gym. However, the way the two of them fall asleep almost remains constant. Being more conservative, Peach insists on sleeping in at least some type of clothing, while the more edgy, adventurous Daisy almost always sleeps commando. At times, Peach tries to also sleep without clothes, but the mere thought of Bowser or his kids kidnapping her during the night always shuts off such ideas before they could bud.

"Bowser prevents me from such things."

Mario nods at the statement. Nothing else needs to be added; both of them know how Bowser would react to such… Sleeping patterns.

"You know," Mario continued on, "I have part of the army looking for your parents. It's been almost two days since they disappeared, so the minimum time to call for help passed. They'll be safe and we'll find them. I promise."

Nothing but gratitude fills Peach; she's too thankful to even speak. For the first few seconds, all Peach can do is lay back down and wrap her arms around Mario. She questions whether just a towel will be sufficient in snuggling with a man, but considering they're married to each other, it's more than okay, and probably even encouraged.

"Unless you want me to cancel that order."

"N-no! You can keep them searching," Peach reassured, still holding onto Mario.

"Done."

"Thanks, Mario," Peach managed to say after her massive wave of emotion, "I love you."

"You too," Mario whispered to her as he puts an arm around her.

Peach has worries—and she'll admit that—but with her arms over Mario and his over her, every negative feeling drains away from her. All she can feel is the connective power between the two of them, between the two people who not only want but need each other in order to fully function. That feeling itself will always be larger than any worry Peach will ever have.


	10. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having a strange dream, a newfound curiosity flows through Peach. In Dark Land, after learning of Peach's disappearance, Bowser hurriedly flies his doomship towards the Mushroom Kingdom. However, an unlikely passenger also tags along with him...

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

  **Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

  **Chapter X**

**Realizations**

* * *

 

Peach appears in an otherworldly, yet familiar dimension. Judging from the red, smoky skies and the desolate landscape, she deducts the area to be somewhere in Dark Land, although one can debate a more specific location. Looking around, she spots two middle-aged magikoopas lounging underneath a bare, lava-ravaged tree. Curious, she attempts to saunter towards them, but instead she realizes she's floating. Shock overwhelms Peach; she can float for a few seconds after jumping due to the effects of her dress masquerading as a parachute or other gliding mechanism, but she appears to be gliding indefinitely.

After her bout of surprise, she attempts speaking to them, but the magikoopas don't pay her any mind. Even as she floats by them and speaks up, they still ignore her. She taps one of them on the shoulder, but still no response. Giving up, she instead decides to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Well, I'm not sure," one magikoopa, a male sporting a blue robe, replied. Peach continues staring at the magikoopa; somehow, he appears familiar, but she can't grasp on who he is. She knows the highest-ranked magikoopas don blue or purple robes–she learned that from Bowser– but she doesn't know any blue-robed middle-aged magikoopas, only older ones.

"The Almighty King's famous for losing his children, I swear. Traw's been the only one not disappearing often," an older female magikoopa sighs as she rustles her dark purple robe and pushes up her spectacles.

"Traw's the only child he cares about," the male replies in a tone of certainty, "He's growing up strong to be like his father, unlike his younger siblings. Perhaps that's why the King never reports Traw missing; he actually keeps tabs on him. The others could burn in a lava pit straight from Purgatory and he wouldn't bat an eye."

The female, considering the former's words, continues pondering the situation before speaking out, "Nonetheless, thing's been weird. Ever since I became the Magikoopa Troop Leader, I also notice odd behaviors with your toadies."

At the mentioning, Peach notices a dash of shock on the male's face, as if he's unaware of the situation or even covering up a larger plan.

"Err, perhaps the toadies were busy doing their duties? Remember, they were commanded to kidnap the babies to prevent The Usurper from destroying the kingdom."

"Why, yes they were, but…" the female sighs once again before releasing a little shiver, "Damn outside air sometimes, especially when the wind comes. Anyway, just… Well, I'm counting on you. Don't let us down. Don't let the kingdom down. Don't let the King down."

"I promise, madam. I'll do what's best for the kingdom."

"Good," the female smirked, "You've been my best pupil I've had in my three decades of being in the Magikoopa Troop. That's why I made you my deputy leader. I trust in your leadership of your toadies."

"I won't let the Kingdom down, Boss," the male promised, "As far as I'm alive."

"Great," the female's smirk grew larger, "Make the kingdom proud, Kamek."

* * *

Peach gasps loud enough to wake herself up. Still delusional from the dream, she sits up and gives a blank stare at her dresser. After regaining her full consciousness, she ponders over the dream, desiring to receive a full understanding of the situation. Why did she dream about Kamek and another magikoopa? Who was that other magikoopa? Was she more than just Kamek's boss? Does she play an important role in anything? And what kids were they talking about? Could it possibly be… Bowser's siblings? And... The Usurper?

"Oh, hey…" Mario greets her, the bags developing under his eyes testifying of a rough night for him also, "What's up with you?"

"Nothing. I just had this weird dream about… Magikoopas," Peach replied, "One of them was a younger Kamek. It's just… Weird."

Mario gives Peach a shocked look before getting out of bed. In a sense, he appears panicked, yet… Serene. Peach didn't know whether her recollection of the dream triggered him, or if he's thinking about something else relating to magikoopas, or baddies in general.

"Sorry, I just… Your parents. I need to check on the progress. Daisy's at the library with Luigi if you want your mind off things. But, remember. That is but a dream."

Mario dashes out of the room, leaving Peach puzzled about the dream. She disagreed with Mario; she didn't believe the dream to be an imaginary story. It felt too much… Like history. Like it occurred in the days of yore.

She wants to know more about this mysterious female magikoopa. She wants to know more about this prophesy on The Usurper. Bowser indirectly mentioned such prophesies to her, while his koopalings appear confused about the concept from the get-go. She also wants to tie all these seemingly-individual pieces together into one sensual storyline. Or, perhaps, she's making false assumptions in her head that she must disprove. She might as well go to the library and perhaps find a few books on these things and whether they're true, plus she'll be able to reconnect with Daisy after days of not seeing her.

"Alright then," she muttered to herself as she puts on her signature pink dress. She smiles as she shuffles around in her dress; after days of wearing a falling-apart wedding dress, she feels a wave of relief and joy, "Library time it is!"

* * *

Late morning now falls upon Bowser's Castle. Despite being a typical morning for everyone, Bowser, who arrived at the castle during the early morning hours, takes the opportunity to sleep in. Being a king and needing to keep the kingdom running, he never found time to relax in bed for more than a few hours. No wonder his kids love sleeping in; he feels more relaxed and rested than he does on a typical day.

However, his good mood ends when the flustered Kamek and Kammy, riding on their brooms, burst into his quarters.

"Uhh? Don't you two know how to knock?!" Bowser growled, suspecting something bad came up already. He likes the magikoopas—albeit giving Kammy a hard time whenever he sees her—but seeing both of them together tends to bring grave, terrible news. That's bad enough, but to interrupt a relaxation session with bad news makes the situation even worse.

"Apologies, Your Relaxingness," Kammy apologized, "But there's bad news, I'm afraid."

Bowser sighs before answering, "I know, you hag. What's the issue?"

Kamek and Kammy eye each other as if debating how they want to inform their king. Neither one want to risk a large wall of flames scorching them, their robes and their brooms. Ever since infancy, Bowser's always had a short temper, in which Kamek knows too well. And although she didn't start serving the King until after his wife's death, Kammy also knows not to be on the wrong end of Bowser's fury.

"Well, Ludwig and Iggy visited us last night…" Kamek started, "We couldn't get ahold of you though…"

"And?" Bowser fired off, eager to get to the point of this busted, unfortunate meeting.

"Your Orneryness, Peach fled the koop!"

* * *

Peach makes her way towards the library, smiling and singing as she moves one foot in front of the other. Today's a great day; she feels aches in her legs due to her sojourning back to her castle, but the warm, relaxing temperatures of Toad Town make up for all of the discomforts. However, amid the signs of happiness, Peach fails to notice the grim looks the local mushroomers give her.

She passes street after street, singing merrily despite the dirty looks she receives from the locals. After turning on Sixth Street perpendicular from the castle's Frontage Road, she spots a large, ornate building with postings of new book releases on its walls. At the top of the building, a large symbol of an open book lies below large, bolded letters: 'TOAD TOWN LIBRARY'.

Peach enters the library and observes the surroundings. The place didn't have much business, but as a precaution, Peach seats herself at a table to reserve it before anyone else beats her to it.

Before she bothers searching for books, she spots Daisy and Luigi, with Daisy's back to her and Luigi facing her. The two appear to be whispering to each other; Luigi blushes every now and then while Daisy shakes her head in a silent manner, stifling giggles. Peach observes the two for a few minutes before Luigi makes eye contact with her. Ashamed and embarrassed over being caught, Peach turns around and subconsciously ducks her head.

She remains in the position for a minute, not aware of her surroundings. All she can think about are the two of them. She's glad her best friend found a great guy to hang out with; they could just be friends, but Luigi's blushing tells her otherwise.

She's engrossed in her own gossip about Daisy that she doesn't notice a large book slammed on her desk. Shocked, Peach looks up and spots Daisy giving her an unimpressed look. It's been days since the two saw each other. They weren't even days of vacation; they were days of Peach being kidnapped and potentially put in harm's way. Two long and demanding days, yet Daisy still didn't bother to even smile at her.

Peach opens her mouth to whisper questions to her, but before Peach got the chance to mutter her complaints, Daisy walks from her and towards Luigi without speaking a single word. Not long after, the two get up from their tables and leave the library.

Peach sighs; she doesn't know what she's done. Why is everyone, save for Mario, giving her the silent treatment? Perhaps Ella's correct in her rumours: maybe they all hated her.

After all, who wouldn't hate someone who got kidnapped dozens of times, yet "still doesn't learn from it" as critics would say?

Maybe they all now realize she's nothing but a burden that nobody in their right mind will want.

Nobody.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Bowser yelled, an isolated flare torpedoing out his mouth. Although ticked off at the situation, he spares both Kamek and Kammy from his fiery rage, much to their hidden satisfaction.

"She left sometime yesterday or the night before, Your Aggressiveness!" Kammy informed in a scared tone, "We don't know!"

"Ugh, you all had ONE simple task!" Bowser roared as he got out of bed, "Now our kingdom's at risk!"

"Oh dear," Kamek sighed, "The prophecies: they're coming to pass!"

"No, you think?" Bowser replied in a snarky, sarcastic tone, causing both magikoopas to hang their heads in shame, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a princess to grab. Watch the brats for me, pronto!"

"Yes, Your Dismissiveness."

Bowser gets up from his bed and shoos the two magikoopas away. Not even bothering to greet his kids nor his servants, he rushes downstairs and to the hangar. He needs to rush to the Mushroom Kingdom as quick as possible; only his doomship can go at such speeds.

Meanwhile, unknown to Bowser, Larry's exploring Bowser's doomship, attempting to hunt for some piranha plant seed packets he misplaced. He couldn't find them in his room nor in his greenhouse; Larry figured he left them in the doomship after the family's last trip to the mall. Despite his lack of luck, he still hopes his seeds stayed safe rather than having fallen into the hands of Roy, Iggy and other destructive siblings.

"Ugh! I can't find them! I'm gonna miss planting season!" the gardener wept, still searching under cargo boxes and above barrels, "Iggy probably experimented on them again! I'll need Dad to get me some more, and quick. I need them today!"

Larry rearranges the cargo he disorganized, having a last minute hope he'll find his seeds. As he finishes rummaging through the stacks, however, he feels a sudden tremble ripple through the entire doomship; before he can react, the engines on the ship roar to life. He falls back on his shell as the doomship zips forward, yet he still fails to realize what occurred until he feels the hoisting sensation.

"Oh crap! Dad's going somewhere! And he accidentally took me!" Larry stated, first in shock, then in pure ecstasy as he thinks about gathering more blackmail, "Now I can see what he does on his free time."


	11. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach reads prophesy that may relate to her, while Bowser attempts to bring her back to Dark Land. In the midst of such events, a typically-fearless Koopaling has his own demons to conquer, while another Koopaling witnesses a bizarre event surrounding Peach and Bowser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's officially time to thank my beta readers for the crap I put them through with this chapter. Consider this my special message. I'll explain at the bottom. But please feel free to read, offer critiques/reviews, and all that fine stuff!
> 
> By the way, this was one of the most fun chapters of this story that I've written. Not sure why, but I love writing prophesies like what will be shown.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

**Chapter XI**

**Reality Check**

* * *

Peach sighs as she opens the book to the first page. She can't understand why everyone seems to isolate her. What happened during the last two days that transitioned her reputation from that of a mystical princess to that of an unwanted outcast? How come even Daisy's involved in this bashing? Did she say anything? Do anything? Do they blame her on the disappearance of her parents? Peach didn't do anything to her parents. She wasn't even _home_!

She attempts to shut down her negative thoughts as she skims over the table of contents. Many prophecies concerning leadership positions, astrological predictions and wars manifest their titles and summaries on the pages. Not interested in the Third Koopan War of the 1600's nor the replacement of the sage Varney by Venapect, she skims down the list until she spots the heading "The Koopa Kingdom's Last Days", followed by the subheadings "The Usurper", "The Chosen Ones", and "The Reconstruction".

"Well, I guess this is it," Peach accepted as she turns to the first page of the prophecy. Inside, a few paragraphs of an ancient text greet her, which she promptly reads.

~x~

_I am not whole. I don't stand for one thing, for one set of philosophy, for any sort of prophecy. At my point of existence, being referred to as two-faced is very much a compliment. I came into this world a low being; if I stay as my true self, I'll only stay low. I couldn't gain popularity. Not honestly. However, I am manipulative; two-faced; a cheater, a liar, and an actor. I can't keep the charade much longer._

_I started low, but I've gotten high up, and I can only get higher. I'm tired of pretending to be loyal; dependable. The wolf inside me demands to destroy the outer sheep surrounding it; everyone will see the true me. The hunger for the status I most desire grew at a gradual pace throughout the years, and the now-insatiable craving must be satisfied before my inner wolf breaks free from its flowery confines. It must happen now, even if it takes breaking everything else I have. Friends. Family. Peace. Immortality. Love. I will tear anything to shreds in return for my desire, and I'll cast the now-useless shards into the dark, eternal sea of hopelessness._

_The time will come. It'll come soon. I can't have my desire fulfilled during peace. There must be a war. I must support violence; I'll guarantee all's distracted while I finally seize the power I craved for life._

~x~

"That's… Morbid," Peach commented, unable to think of anything else to mention, "If this describes someone, it doesn't sound like Mario. Well, to me, anyway."

 _'Then again, this is koopa prophecies. They could be very biased against the Mushroom Kingdom,'_ the princess thought.

She's well-versed in fake prophesies used by villains and her kidnapping suspects, ever since her supposed 'prophesied' marriage to Bowser which only proved to be a hoax. Peach shudders at the thought; marriage to Bowser. She couldn't imagine such a condition. However, he did show himself as a family man, so perhaps he wouldn't be half bad. And he... Cared about her. At her last thought, Peach blushes.

Despite the thoughts, she continues reading more of the ancient text.

~x~

_Even with multiple failed unification attempts, our holy kingdom and our neighbour's vast kingdom will continue to stay in peace for time to come. However, the differences between the two kingdoms will become more apparent. They will initially work things out between the two of them, but as the years progress, both sides will cut diplomacy efforts. Many rulers and dictators will rule our holy kingdom to further protect our blessed inhabitants from the efforts of the opposing kingdom, while the enemy kingdom, though ruled by so-claimed benevolent monarchs, will have corrupt leaders behind-the-scenes, once again protecting them from our holy kingdom._

_The struggles will continue, and they'll only get worse. That is, until The Usurper arrives._

_Throughout nir time present in this land of two kingdoms, The Usurper will stand for good, for peace, and for virtue. The Usurper will start off doing small deeds before spreading nir cause throughout all the lands. Many will worship nem, depend on nem and stand in favor of nem. The Usurper will stand for all that's good, but ne cannot stop the pride-that toxic first stepping stone onto the path of irreversible evil- that will upwell in nemself._

_As the almighty Varney of yore stated: "Pride is the first step on a dangerous, bumpy road towards hell. If unchecked, pride will lead to envy; envy will lead to greed and uncontrollable wrath; both will lead to thefts, usurpations and murders. With those sins as its foundation, entire societies will crumble to the ground and will cry out in their eternal damnations."_

_The Usurper will be eaten up by nir pride. Ne will sacrifice the power of love for the power of war. Ne will sacrifice the power of peace for the power of chaos. Ne will sacrifice the power of forgiveness for the power of vengeance._

_With this, and with no checks, both our beloved kingdoms will fall to nem._

~x~

"My whole question is, how does this relate to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Peach questioned after reading the passage. Sure, Mario stood—and still stands—for virtues, but from what she learned both from Bowser and from the book, the Koopa Kingdom also once stood for those values. Maybe this Usurper "person" is, in fact, not an actual person, but rather a sort of government. Maybe the Koopa Kingdom will split and fight itself in a long civil war—after all, it did just years ago—or perhaps the Mushroom Kingdom or even Sarasaland might invade. Automatically accusing Mario of being a usurper, let alone "The Usurper", is a step too far in the wrong direction.

With questions in mind, Peach continues reading the prophecy.

~x~

 _The Usurper will not initially usurp the throne of the vast kingdom. Ne will instead gain partial power through the Power of Binding. After_ ne _usurps the remaining power,_ ne _will call war upon our holy kingdom, causing all our precious things to be destroyed._

 _Ne will not need to force an invasion of our holy kingdom. The denizens of the vast kingdom will support_ nem _in this takeover, due to the hate sprawling in their hearts._

_The hatred between the two kingdoms will be key in picking out The Usurper. In a peaceful world between our two beloved kingdoms, The Usurper will not be rooted out before it's too late. We, as the holy kingdom, will need to be against the vast kingdom, even in topics we agree about, for our holy kingdom to be preserved, as we won't have peace._

_Just like every other evil, The Usurper must be stopped before_ nir _reign of terror falls upon our beautiful planet. There will be many Chosen Ones that will destroy the rule of The Usurper._

_The Chosen Ones will seek alliances with other kingdoms in faraway lands—_

~x~

"What? 'The Power of Binding'? But I thought Bowser said Koopas didn't have a word or term for marriage… So, how does this lead to Mario?"

Peach turns the page a few times, confused. The next few pages have been torn out of the book, resulting in the next page being on a Koopan economics prophecy of some sort. Indifferent to that prophecy, she closes the book and begins to ponder over what she learned.

And truth be told, Peach didn't know what to think. Apparently this all relates to Mario? Things that Mario have done do have similarities with the prophecy, but at the same time, all this time she's known Mario, he's been doing the right things for the right reasons.

He wouldn't risk the life and reputability of the Mushroom Kingdom, would he? Sure, the Kingdom's enemies with the Koopas, but firing the first cannon at them will make the Mushroom Kingdom appear to be war-hungry dictators.

He couldn't do that to everyone, or to her, or to himself. He just couldn't.

However, a pit of doubt grows within her. Or could he?

* * *

Larry stares out the cargo storage's window as the doomship flies off. From up in the air, he spots the woods, followed by a large, purple field most likely covered in orchids or lavender. He then sights the multiple pipes making up Pipe Land, and finally the farming fields of Grass Land before he feels the sudden falling sensation.

Bowser must've found out about Peach disappearing. Larry didn't want to be anywhere near his dad; he didn't need to be any form of genius to make the guess that his father's steamed about the situation.

After the doomship lands and the roaring engines cut off, the youngest koopaling feels the doomship sway as Bowser navigates around the ship. The shaking stops, but not long after, another engine cranks up and starts roaring. Larry can tell it wasn't the doomship's; it must be Bowser's Klown Khopper. Bowser's planning something, and Larry needs to know.

Curious about the situation, Larry sneaks towards the doomship's door and also gets off the ship. In the distance, he spots Bowser flying off towards Peach's Castle. The sneak looks at the ground; the plentiful bushes and trees make him break into a smile.

Maybe he's only getting Peach back, but maybe something larger in scale's occurring.

* * *

The day wasn't cheerful for everyone, however. Having waken up from an all-too-real nightmare, Roy continues lying in his bed, restless. Like the others, he's worried about what will become of their kingdom; their family. As much as he teases them, comes out cold to them or even lashes out at them, Roy hates the idea of his family being in potential danger. He needs to appear as a tough guy, but doing so only puts more pressure on him, especially when he must pretend not to care about his siblings.

As such, his mind starts wandering around in abyssal territory; in the world of the worst-case scenario, thanks in part to the nightmare.

He imagines life without Ludwig. Such a truth would be a blessed time, until Roy realizes how deep his life's rooted in his rivalry with his eldest sibling. Roy knows his life would be meaningless without Ludwig. Without Ludwig's disdain for the pink koopaling, Roy wouldn't be the present day's tough, driven, improved figure. Rather, the cold, lonesome, untrusting, damned koopaling he used to be in Brooklyn would wander and haunt the Mushroom World. Without Ludwig, Roy would have no competition forcing him to become better. Roy hates admitting the truth, but Ludwig taught him about being a fearless alpha; Ludwig's his older brother, after all. He owes heaps to Ludwig, even if Roy can't stand him.

Roy then ponders to Morton. Morty. Roy sees himself in that ever-so-sarcastic koopaling, and he can't bear the fact of losing him. At times, Roy wonders if he'd be more like Morton if he wasn't isolated in the Real World and forced to bottle in his feelings, fears and concerns, rather than Morton's free expression of them. Nonetheless, connecting with Morton proved easier than with the rest of his brothers; Roy ultimately trained Morton, and Morton looked up to him. Morton was trained to fight by the best – Roy smirks at the thought – and can defend himself, much like Ludwig, so he didn't worry about the two in the same manner.

But Roy sighs when he thinks about Lemmy, Iggy and Larry. Lemmy's great at evasion and tiring out his opponents, while Iggy creates fantastic inventions to deal with enemies, but both cannot physically defend themselves like Ludwig, Morton or even Wendy can. Larry, despite his great spying skills and sneakiness, has near-zero experiences with not only fighting, but with life in general. He hasn't experienced gain, life and love. Larry doesn't even know how motherly love feels; their mother died before Larry hatched. Roy always felt more sympathetic towards the youngest koopaling for such reasons, and the thought of Larry being gone before he reaps the benefits of life he worked hard to sow only breaks the bully's heart.

They all deserve to live. To love. To prosper.

A knocking interrupts Roy's cascading thought. Sighing, he opens the door and sights Wendy, who offers him an apologetic stare, yet no words. Awkwardness overcoming her, she twiddles her new phone in her hands while moving her stare from Roy to the ground.

"'Sup, Kootie Pie," Roy acknowledged before signaling her to come in. Accepting, Wendy sits on the edge of Roy's bed, her eyesight swapping between Roy's hanging punching bag and the floor, "Something bothering ya?"

Then, of course, there's Wendy. Unlike his father and five brothers, Roy finds ease in talking to his sister about his emotions. He doesn't feel vulnerable or challenged around her. Throughout much of Roy's time in Dark Land, Wendy's been his primary source of expelling his feelings, whether due to her advice from a female perspective or simply her willingness to listen without judgment. Of course, both Koopalings have too much pride to admit to such exchanges of feelings and friendship, resulting in the two expressing condescending and even hateful attitudes towards each other when they're around their brothers.

"I could ask you the same, BULLY. I feel like you seriously need to talk, BULLY," Wendy gritted her teeth, resulting in Roy's eyes narrowing, "But for me? Just some drama with Koopook, BULLY."

"Dat hidin' punk, KOOTIE PIE?" Roy questioned. Koopook's notorious for his large hide-and-seek games throughout the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land. He even puts out Missing Persons reports for himself, just to get people to search for him. Roy always saw him as someone begging for attention, rather than true boyfriend material, "I always hated dat twerp. Da hell you see in him, KOOTIE PIE? He runs from everything, KOOTIE PIE!"

"It's hard to explain, BULLY," Wendy flinches at Roy referring to her as her codename, "I think he's totally running off with that skank Kylie again, BULLY."

"I always said you should dump 'em for a strong, fearless koopa like Boom Boom, KOOTIE PIE!"

"What makes you, BULLY, the all-knowing, BULLY? Or, BULLY, is it your stuck-up ego, BULLY? And STOP calling me Kootie Pie, BULLY! I HATE that name... BULLY!" Wendy interrogated as she glares at him.

Noting that he's communicating with his dear little sister about personal information—his sarcasm wasn't welcomed at this moment—Roy instead explains.

"No one can see through a girl's ass-of-a-boyfriend better dan dat girl's ass-of-a-brother. AKA, yours truly," Roy stated, pointing to himself with his thumbs and grinning.

Wendy nods her head; she knows Roy only wants the best for her, albeit expressing it in rather unorthodox ways, but she must make such decisions for herself, according to her own gut.

"I want to get the facts first. If he's cheating on me, I'll totally dump him this time. Plus, the last time Boom Boom even tried to recognize my existence was like five years ago."

"Good. Dese problems remind me of why I ain't dating right now," Roy smirked, "Also, let me know if dat wimp cheats on ya. I wanna spaz out on him."

"You don't need to, Roy."

"Sure I do. I'm your older brother; it's my duty to take it dere with him. Dat kid pisses me off. Only one koopa's allowed to make hell for my sister, and dat's me. Plus, I really just wanna pummel da pulp outta somethin' right now."

Wendy's eyes widen at Roy's mentioning of violence. He tends to utter such statements only during times of incredible stress or if an intense emotion plagues him. As far as she remembers, Roy always thought with his strength and his adrenaline before he did with his mind in those moments.

"Seriously?"

"Dead ass."

Wendy motions for Roy to sit next to her. Her brother knows what such a gesture meant: he can no longer hold back any of his thoughts. Obeying, Roy sits beside her on his bed.

"Something's up with you, dude. Spill it," Wendy assured, albeit in a near-demand, "And don't say stuff like, 'I'm good' or 'chill out' because I'm totally not buying it this time. I know you better than that, Roy."

Roy sighs; even with Wendy, he feels uncomfortable sharing his deepest fears. But, he's not getting out of this unscathed.

"Just dumb thoughts," Roy admitted before he shifts positions on his bed, "About dis Peach thing."

"About Mario stealing the throne or whatever?" Wendy questioned, "I totally don't believe that stupid prophesy. Why would MARIO steal the throne?"

"Exactly," Roy nodded, "I knew Mario longer dan Dad, or anyone in da Koopa Troop. He lived not far from me in Brooklyn. I hate dat plumber. I hate him so much. But Mario wouldn't do dis. He... He COULDN'T!"

Wendy flinches at Roy shouting the last word of his explanation—also a typical Royish trait she's accustomed to—but then nods her head to get him to continue.

"And da prophesy mentions some 'Power of Binding'. Morty was doing research; he found da definition of Binding in Dark Land's different dan Binding in da Mushroom Kingdom."

"How?" Wendy questioned, intrigued at the new development.

"Da Mushroom Kingdom's 'Binding' is marriage; it binds two bodies together. Or two spirits together. However ya look at it. But Dark Land's 'Binding' is binding body to spirit. I don't know what dis means. It could be possession or birth or somethin', but it ain't marriage. Dark Land didn't even do marriage back den!"

"And we're looking at the Mushroom Kingdom's definition! But that's totally wrong, as the prophesy's from Dark Land!" Wendy exclaimed, "I seriously don't believe these silly prophesies, but at least this makes MUCH more sense."

Wendy expects Roy to crack a smile, but looking at him, the elder koopaling only stares at the ground, and he starts trembling. She senses a reservoir of worry within her brother, and she wants him to express it.

"Dis is why I was saying dis isn't Mario. 'Cus it wouldn't be. I was calm about it, but I had a nightmare. I know it's a dream, but it felt mad real, Sis. Someone took over the Mushroom Kingdom. Dey den invaded Dark Land! We all were in danger! And it... I lost you all!" Roy exclaimed.

Throughout the explanation, Wendy pays attention to Roy's tone. His voice didn't broadcast his typical sarcasm or fearlessness, but rather genuine concern. His voice came out strained, as if he got punched in the stomach and couldn't recover his breath in time. She knows he's fighting back something, although she's unsure of what.

"I admit it... I'm... I'm scared. For all of us," Roy repeated, "I don't want to lose you. Or Morty. Or Lem. Or the rest of ya. Even Bigwig. I already lost my family once; I don't wanna lose you all again."

Roy shakes his head as he recalls the dream. Wanting to give him a comforting gesture, Wendy wraps her arm around the back of Roy's neck while patting his shoulder opposite to him, doing all she can to not cry also. She hates when her brave, burly brother... Looked so weak and vulnerable; she feels for him in those moments. She knows this must be one effect of Roy's growing up in isolation, and that her words will make little difference; such situations and emotions never healed with time.

"I never realized you were so much of a family guy," Wendy mentioned, hoping he'd take the statement as a compliment. However, Roy finds no comfort in it.

"Shut da hell up. Try bein' abandoned on a planet you don't belong to before you speak, Sis," Roy snapped, resulting in Wendy flinching once more.

"Okay, fair point. Sorry. But look, Roy," Wendy stated, a tinge of sadness filling her voice, "Your heart's in the right place, but you seriously need to get this extra pressure off you. It's not healthy, dude. We all can fight. We've all battled Mario. We've all battled Cackletta's hypnosis. With the seven of us, we're strong, and we can totally kick tail!"

Wendy feels Roy's head bobbing, as if he's nodding at her statement.

"It's just... Da dream made me realize our situation. Ever since da family found out Pops wasn't our birth dad a few years ago, I just worry about us splittin' apart or something. We ain't full siblings, we don't have da full blood bonds. Well, I might be full siblings with Lemmy if the hospital has dere way and dey're correct. I always had some lil' soft spot with dat circus freak. But I don't want dat loss of family to divide da rest of us."

"Relax, Roy. You seriously need to calm down, dude. Us seven are stronger than ever, with strong relations between us! We may not have the same birth parents, but we all grew up under Bowser's care. From that itself, he deserves the title of Daddy."

"Yeah. But I hope... I hope all dis is just a dream, But I feel it's something more..." Roy whispered.

"We're totally rad. Don't worry! Just be your insulting, teasing, mischievous, fun, sarcastic self. I know you care about us, but I totally miss that side of you. You sound totally like Ludwig right now, and he's a total snooze!" Wendy comforted before letting go of Roy and sitting back up, "But anyway, we have to do STUPID magic tricks with Kammy soon. That's really all I came here to say. But, like, good talk, brother!"

Roy groans at the mentioning of the magic tricks before lying on his bed again, "I hate dat hag and her lessons."

"Me too. But I should leave. I have to talk to this BLOCKHEAD Koopook!"

"Give 'em hell, Sis," Roy murmured, "But remember da policies of Roy Koopa's room."

"Nothing leaves the room, yeah yeah yeah. Not even for blackmail, yeah yeah yeah. We're low, but not THAT low, yeah yeah yeah. Pretend to be enemies, yeahuh uh," Wendy rolls her eyes, "We've been doing this for, like, YEARS, Roy."

"Good," Roy grins, "'Cus snitches get stitches. Can't have no info leakin' out. Almost had Larry buggin' my room a few times. I had to remind him that unless he wanted a good ol' applesauce diet with a feedin' tube for life, he'd stay da hell outta my room with dat shit. Same with threatenin' Old Man Jenkins' green mess of a hair-do with a shavin' whenever he tries to invent some conversation-grabber. Dat one was fun."

Wendy nods her head; the two released too many secrets within the room's confines, and neither want them to escape, "Let me know if you need anything, Roy. In private, totally."

"Of course in private. Always den. I can't have people know I depend on advice from my lil sis. No one would fear me."

Wendy rolls her eyes before she stands up and sashays towards the door.

"Dude, don't worry, Softie. Your precious, delicate ego's safe with me, Roy."

Roy gives her another smirk before making a swatting action with his claws, "Peace, Sis."

He ponders Wendy's words as she left. Maybe he's overreacting; maybe this Dark-Land's-in-danger thing's just a bunch of hooey. He'll just need to shake it off. But for reasons he fails to understand, he couldn't. Maybe he just needs something to distract him.

"Feh, I should go out and chill. Have some fun before dis stupid lesson."

* * *

Peach closes the book, still conflicted on what to believe. Mario's always been the good guy, right? Or, maybe she's just overthinking everything and she just needs to talk to him. After all, she's married to him, and communication's key to nurture that bond.

Peach didn't know where she—or rather Daisy—got the book, nor does she have the time to find where it goes. Although feeling guilty, she leaves the book on the table; perhaps the librarian knows where the book goes and will put it away for her. Peach receives fishy looks as she leaves the library; she brushes them off, thinking they're glaring at her due to her impolite gesture. All she desires is a one-on-one conversation with Mario.

Outside the library, Toad Town's streets appear busier than earlier. The princess couldn't think much about the book; half the times on the bustling Sixth Street, her needing to squeeze through crowds in the shopping hotzone and avoid running into people take precedent over other processes.

A few more squeezes, and Peach finds herself walking up Frontage Road. Being the road leading to the castle with no storefronts, the street doesn't host much foot traffic. In turn, Peach's able to ponder about both the tome and questions to ask of Mario. Maybe with anything he knows, this whole puzzle will fit together.

Still, why is she obsessed with Koopan prophecies, and does it relate to her dream at all? This thing can be one whole fabricated lie to have her question everything and everyone in her life. If it was, then… Well played, Bowser. Well played.

Thoughts still in mind, Peach fails to notice how close she got to her castle until she trips and almost falls on the steps in the courtyard. Embarrassed, she brushes her dress and continues on. She's about to enter the castle doors when she hears a low-pitch voice call out her name.

"Huh?" Peach questioned, turning around in confusion. The voice's familiar, as if she'd heard it not long ago. However, the voice also causes her to shiver. She knows the voice well; a little too well for her comfort level.

"Come here, Princess!" the voice called out from behind a bushy tree. Peach notices a messy red hairdo, smacked between two horns, sticking out from the plant

"No! I escaped from you for a reason," Peach yelled, disgusted at how he still tries to follow her.

"But why did you leave?"

"Because, Bowser Koopa, I have to be in my kingdom, looking for my parents with my—"

A sudden slam of the door occurs, breaking up Peach's sentence. Dozens of toad guards come towards the two, armour equipped, weapons in hand and serious faces on. As the guards circle Bowser, Peach appears relieved, but she then becomes confused when guards also surround her.

"You are hereby under arrest! Hands in the air!" one of the guards commanded. Not wanting to risk being shot by whatever projectile, Bowser cautiously raises his arms while displaying a defeated look. Following his lead, Peach also puts her hands up, but this time, confusion overtakes her face. Why is she being arrested?

"Umm, I'm the Princess, I can't be arrested!" Peach rebutted, hoping the situation's just a giant misunderstanding.

One of the guards, however, proceeds to give Peach a dirty look.

"Sure you can. You and this menace here are under arrest for the disappearance of King and Queen Toadstool."

* * *

From a few other bushes away, Larry observes the scene, awestricken yet scared. Despite all the times Bowser plundered through the Mushroom Kingdom, the spy never saw his father get arrested by the mushroomers before, nor did he witness Bowser give up without a fight. This appears to be on different territory; something's going on as the guards never appear to be this ruthless and fearless.

Although surprised at his father's inevitable arrest, Larry stands in complete shock as Peach also surrenders to the guards. Why is PEACH getting arrested, out of all residents? What would the RULING PRINCESS be arrested for, why would they take her into custody, and who will take over rule with Peach and her parents out of power?

Larry needs to take this situation into his own hands. He needs to know what's going on. Perhaps the guards will give both his father and Peach their plans as an ultimatum, then Larry can use that information to warn the rest of the Koopa Troop. Or maybe the new Mushroom Kingdom elites will leak their plans from one of the castle's conference rooms.

The youngest koopaling smirks; only one way to find out.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, story time involving my beta readers!
> 
> In short, I have 3 beta readers. I'll keep them anonymous unless they want to reveal themselves, but I'll call them Skelly, Muse and Newt. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be the shortest in the entire fic (it was below 2,000 words; quite sure it was around 1,800 words when I had it sent out at first), and I sent this and the next ~6 chapters to Skelly (who mainly checks the basic foundation of my plot, whether it's the story's plot, shard's plot, or chapter's plot. Meanwhile, the other 2 check over my details and consistencies) to make sure my plot was consistent.
> 
> During our discussion, she pointed out a larger hole in the plot and character development than I intended, resulting in me writing a completely new chapter to patch it (which will be Chapter 14) and certain scenes being pushed back or moved forward. Because of this, the size of this chapter grew tremendously; it's now at 5,000 words, and Chapter 12 will also be larger than originally expected. Of course, Skelly, Muse and Newt had to read everything all over again, then I had more ideas for fixing the Chapter 14 hole. They read it all again. Then I wanted to rearrange scenes. Then once again, they read it again. The bad part is we're not even done dealing with the Chapter 14 hole; everything up to Chapter 27 got affected by it.
> 
> So... Thank you Skelly, Muse and Newt for being lifesavers and reading these next chapters AT LEAST six times, if not more! This story would be AWFUL without them. I'm not even kidding. Trust me, I saw my original 2000-era outline; it was terrible after this chapter.


	12. Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having witnessed the two royals' arrests, Larry remains steadfast in discovering why such events occurred.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations **

* * *

**Chapter XII**

**Conspiracies**

* * *

 

Bowser and Peach hunker in their cells, dazed and confused about the earlier occurrence. Despite Bowser never being arrested in the Mushroom Kingdom, he appears used to the dingy dungeon. The Koopa King lounges on the floor, appearing more bored than frightened. He knows that no matter what happens, this situation won't destroy his reputation of being the biggest, baddest enemy of the Mushroom Kingdom. No matter how he plays his cards, he'll have the same outcome.

Peach's reputation rests on this event, however; at this point, she already lost trust from her people. She paces around in her cell, praying and hoping that the charges are bogus. She was not involved in her parents' disappearance; she's just as sick about their disappearance as the average mushroomer, if not sicker. She adores her parents; although she dislikes being babied by them, they'll still be her parents, and she'll never want to replace them—or get rid of them.

Not to mention: she wasn't even present to kidnap her parents! She stayed at Bowser's Castle the entire time! Plus, for the first time in years, she's able to vouch for Bowser too. Hopefully whoever decides her case will be fair, honest and understanding.

Peach breathes out a long sigh as she stops pacing and sits in the fetal position, not caring whether her dress becomes dirty. Seeing her stress, Bowser looks over at Peach and calls out to her.

"Man, Peach! You could've been free if you stayed in my castle!"

"Oh be quiet, Bowser Koopa. If it wasn't for you and those children of yours, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"'We'? I'd still be accused for this!" Bowser pointed out in a matter-of-fact manner. After several terrible things happen in the Mushroom Kingdom, especially by international forces, Dark Land's always the first government to get the blame. Peach's parents appear to be no exception in this case, although Peach being in trouble's a new thing in Bowser's book.

"Yeah? And whose fault was that?" Peach mentioned, rolling her eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't be mine since I didn't kidnap you!"

"Whatever, okay? Point is, we're in this position right now, and we're screwed."

"Yeah, that's true…"

Bowser and Peach both remain quiet, awaiting, yet dreading their upcoming fate. If only there were a way to get both of them out in order for Peach to have Mario straighten out the issue, then they'd take that opportunity.

But, alas, such actions cannot be achieved just yet.

* * *

Larry watches the guards shuffle around the entrance to Peach's castle. Considering the castle's almost never guarded at the entrance, he figured he'd make his way into the castle through those doors, but seeing the sudden security hike, the sneak knew that way's now unachievable.

If the mushroomer guards now are anything like how they used to be during sudden drills, only the ground floor will be guarded heavily, leaving the other floors near bare. Through these previous drills, Larry found a fancy "staircase" attachment at the back of Peach's Castle that, although there to give the Mushroom Kingdom Royalty's Castle a spark of architectural wonder, also acted as a double agent for enemy spies. With that sculpture attached, Larry's able to ascend to the upper floors and spy on royal cabinet meetings.

Figuring the back's unguarded (as Larry's always seen the back area lack guards), the stealthy koopaling decides to go up those "stairs". Careful to not make even a squeak or rustle to alert the guards, he sneaks towards the back of the castle through the bushes and reaches the castle's back. Grinning, he dashes towards the north wall of the castle and starts climbing the stairs in haste. The stairs come to an eventual end; from the far view below, Larry figures he's on the third floor. Either the third or the fourth floor contains the important meeting room that Mario could use to conspire against both Peach and the Koopa Kingdom, and Larry's determined to discover the specific room.

He peers into the first window: nothing; only boxes pack the room, but with the large table in the room, Larry can tell the room used to be one of the many meeting rooms. Pulling away, he gazes through the second window and spots some toad maids cleaning a guest bedroom.

At normal times, Larry would be curious over who's staying in the room, but for now, he has urgent, important information to pick up. His father, and heck, maybe even Peach, are both in danger, and he needs to prove them innocent, or at least know full well what's going on.

He peeks through the third window and spots a male toad sleeping on the bed without a blanket nor most of his clothes. Disgusted, Larry pulls away from the window and gags, still trying to remain quiet to prevent alerting the guards. As a spy, he's seen less appealing sights; although he handles them well, he still needs to improve on his initial reactions.

Reconstructing himself, Larry then peeks through the last window on the floor. He spots Luigi, Daisy, Mario and two armed toad guards. Bingo!

Lacking his spy equipment, the sneak attempts to crack open the window from the outside, but the task proves to be impossible. These windows, despite their new appearance, rusted over from their lack of use. Larry sighs as he leans as close to the window as he can manage without being spotted by one of the five. He hears their voices, but as an extra protocol, he decides to read their lips—another handy trick he picked up as a spy.

"I can't believe you guys given her the book! She wasn't supposed to know until after!" Mario scolded both his brother and Daisy. Both appear scared at Mario's discipline session, and in fear, they both bow to him.

"S-s-sorry, M-Mario," Luigi apologized.

"No big deal. She got locked up before anything can happen."

Daisy and Luigi both nod before the flower princess speaks up, "Just wondering, Mario… Why are we doing this?"

The red-clad plumber debates to himself whether to inform them, or to just tell them to stow it. In the end, the former option wins, and he begins to explain.

"Every night, I get these weird dreams, these visions, that Dark Land needs to be invaded."

Larry gasps at the news, though thankfully not loud enough for the conspirers to sense it. Why would he invade Dark Land? Mario never goes on the offensive! That's against his "good guy" image!

"We all know Peach would never support that. I, however…" Mario continues, going silent mid-sentence before adding a sigh, "I fear for the Kingdom. Things became quiet, but they've gotten worse social-wise. Peach is innocent and great, but invasion is best for the kingdom as a whole, and that's what she wants."

"But… It's just weird," Daisy responded, "Wouldn't it make sense to, y'know, just bring her into the plan?"

"It would but… She's been with Bowser lately," Mario shakes his head.

"Of course she was. She got kidnapped!" Daisy raises her voice before she realizes who she's speaking to, "Sorry Mario, it's just…"

"I get it, but it's good for the kingdom that she isn't involved. I don't want her involved any time soon, because not only was she at Bowser's Castle, but she didn't complain about being there, and both she and Bowser were spotted in the courtyard."

Daisy and Luigi both shrug before agreeing with Mario. Peach despises war in general, unless anyone commits a grave error towards her kingdom. There'd be no way Mario could bring her into the plan.

"Also, of the news of Bowser being kidnapped, I don't want the Koopa Troop coming to rescue both Bowser and Peach. Instead, I'll fly both of them off to Jewelry Land. We help out in the more deserted Dark Realm, so it's pretty much a territory to us. Plus, we can get Jewelry Land on our side and form a Mushroom Kingdom-Sarasaland-Jewelry Land alliance that won't ever fall!"

"Uhh, sounds good, Bro," Luigi voiced.

"Good. I want you two to tag long when we fly them to Jewelry Land. You'll be their guards there, as well as a few other troops. Now, I have to take care of some battle plans, so this meeting's dismissed."

On the other side of the window, Larry nods, as if involved in the conversation.

"Mario doesn't want the Koopa Troop to invade Jewelry Land?" Larry grins as he rubs his hands together, "Well, too late now, buddy!"

* * *

Day turns into night, with both Peach and Bowser stuck in the dungeon. After hours of silence, Peach decides to speak to her nemesis.

"You should've not had your kids kidnap me, then none of this wouldn't have happened," Peach sighed, repeating that sentence at least four times ever since the guards captured both of them.

Bowser glares at the princess, "I told you! It was my KIDS who decided themselves to kidnap you! Not me! And they went without me saying so!"

"Well, I still blame you. You taught them," Peach rebutted.

Bowser sighs, defeated. He did teach them, not only to kidnap the princess, but to be diligent at it and to not give up. Although great traits to have, perhaps the way he attempted to have them execute those traits could've been modified. Still, the kidnappings of Peach… Strangely united, yet divided, his family.

"That's true… But there's one thing about them, and the Koopa Troop in general. That is, they never give up."

"Oh yeah?" Peach stands back up and stretches her legs, "Well I hope that's true, because we need that to get out of here!"

Bowser remains quiet while he stares at the metal bars in front of him. Earlier, he tried to melt the bars, but only ended up with piping hot metal and a burnt out Bowser. Whatever metal the Mushroomers use appears to be koopa-proof, and for good reason too. The walls also appear to be stronger than his shell, in which he found out the hard way. Beaten and discouraged, the Koopa King only resorts to sitting around for the past few hours.

"For once, I hope your troops come," Peach sighs once again, "Nobody probably knows we're trapped."

"They'll come," Bowser encouraged, although deep down he also has the same wishes and doubts, "And they'll know about our jailing in some way."

* * *

Kamek, Kammy and five koopalings all gather in a gym-like area on the castle's fourth floor to train their magic abilities. Every time the two magikoopas get control of the kids, they make them learn magic tricks for either fighting or for support roles. Iggy and Larry, whenever he's around, both love training magic, though Lemmy and Morton also have fun with it. Being fascinated more by science and knowledge, Ludwig's indifferent to the whole idea of magic, though the genius also doesn't mind it.

"Ugh! This is totally stupid!" Wendy complained. She and Roy can't stand casting magic spells. Wendy prefers peaceful settings where she can talk and gossip to fellow friends, while Roy prefers to show off power through his brute strength rather than with the use of magic. Neither have an ounce of willingness to learn, and thus tend to act rowdy during the sessions.

"Well, too bad!" Kammy barked, "We're in charge here! And what we're gonna do is magic! And I only see five of you! Which two of you brats are missing?!"

Kammy then notices large muddy footprints on the carpet before the footprints travel up the walls and on the ceiling. They prove quite the dead giveaway; only one koopa she knows figured out how to walk on walls, and only one's fascinated with activities involving mud. Scowling, she continues scanning the ceiling before she spots Roy lounging on one of the ruby-plated obsidian chandeliers. Seeing Kammy observing his tracks, Roy then attempts to hide from the witch's gaze within the chandelier.

"ROY! Get down here, now! King Bowser's tired of you constantly breaking his chandeliers!"

"Fine, old hag."

Roy lowers himself from the chandelier, grabbing it by his hands while his still-muddy feet dangle. He then jumps down, causing the floor to quake.

"Good. Now practice magic with us," Kammy ordered, "And don't call me old hag. That's King Bowser's nickname for me, and only he can use it."

"Look. I know you're still pissed dat a house fell on ya, witch, but I call ya what I wanna call ya, and I do what I want. Got a problem, punk?"

Kammy exhales before she pulls out her magic wand and shoots a light beam at Roy, who steps out of the beam's trajectory in time. Roy turns around and stares at the beam's target: a gaping hole intruding through the floor's plywood, in the area he stood on just seconds ago.

"Hey! Dat's a hole!" Roy shouted as he points to the scorched floor, resulting in the others facepalming.

"No... Really? Ya think?" Morton mused.

"She coulda killed me!"

"Too bad I didn't. Now, let's train!" Kammy smirks, causing Roy to mutter under his breath, _'Psychotic little old hag.'_

Kammy hands Roy a black-tipped wand before showing the koopalings how to cast more powerful light-based spells. After about ten minutes of demonstrations, she summons a dummy for every koopaling to practice on.

"Feh, screw magic. Why can Larry ditch but I can't?" Roy complained as he casts triangle-shaped light beams at a dummy.

"Our youngest sibling can easily avoid zese trainings because he's vun of ze best at using magic out of us," Ludwig stated, "Perhaps if you didn't complain every second your grubby hand makes contact vith zat magic vand, Roy, you'd also progress."

"Shaddap, dork breath! I don't need no magic to save me!"

"Vell, too bad. Do vhat you vere told to do. Your elders know better zan you, especially Kamek. You know he's essentially our grandfather, correct?"

"I know dat, brainiac! All of us do!" Roy rebutted, causing Ludwig to roll his eyes to the point of almost seeing his brain.

"Zen listen to him. Fazzer's out on official duties, and Kamek's in charge. Give respect to your elders, Roy. You are failing ze very basics of etiquette ze past few days. Ve need to get you trained in a proper manner."

"And I say we cast magic! All of you will be launching absolutely evil spells soon! We'll be strong and feared!" Kamek cackled, "Now get on it and quit complaining!"

The koopalings each learn spells, such as buffing and weakening objects, healing minor wounds and turning rocks into fruits. For once, Roy's pleased with the fruit trick and insists on eating the fruits, much to the reluctance of Kammy. Kamek, however, allows the action; anything to shut his complaining up.

"Where _DO_ you think Dad is?" Iggy questioned, turning another rock into a pineapple with his wand, "Peach's Castle is only about half an hour away with a doomship. Unless he got kidnapped too! Hahaha! Can you imagine, Dad kidnapped?!"

"I'm not sure myself, Ignatius," Kamek shrugged.

"Usually His Heinous comes in early, either in defeat or with his treasure Peach in hand," Kammy added, "So it's unlike him to be gone this long."

Kamek nods and adds in his final thought, "If he's not back by tomorrow, we will get more involved."

"Well, not sure if it relates, but I haven't seen Larry all day either," Morton pointed out, "Maybe Larry's with him and they're doing something! Spying and taking over the kingdom!"

The other koopas exchange looks with each other. Not only isn't Larry here, but none of them spotted Larry anywhere today. Did Bowser need Larry for some reason? However, one koopaling's eyes did widen at the mentioning of his youngest brother.

"Oh yeah! I saw him earlier!" Lemmy realized, receiving the mass attention from the others, "He was walking to the doomship hangar complaining about seeds or something. Not long after, King Dad ran in and drove the doomship out!"

"Vhat?! You should've told us sooner!" Ludwig gasped before looking at Kamek and Kammy, "Is it possible Fazzer took Lawrence by accident? Or even intentionally?"

"It's always possible, Your Geniusness," Kammy acknowledged, "But either way, I do hope both of them are safe, especially Master Lawrence if he's alone in that vile, cursed place."

* * *

Larry sneaks down the castle's outdoor "stairs". With nighttime approaching, the task proves to be easier this time around as the sneak doesn't need to worry about the guards. After getting back on the ground, Larry makes a full-fledged run to Bowser's doomship. The doomship's a far run from the castle, but the urgency of the situation keeps the youngest koopaling in full-force towards the ship. His family needs to know the news as soon as possible, and something needs to be done to stop this conspiracy Mario launched.

Those thoughts and others dash through Larry's mind as quick as he traverses towards the doomship, giving the koopaling no peace of mind. He snaps out of the developing theories as he approaches the ship and opens the hatch. Not bothering to compliment the luxurious style inside the doomship, he immediately makes his way towards the cockpit.

Larry needs to fly this home. But the only problem: he doesn't know how to pilot a doomship. Due to his age, Bowser hasn't taught him yet, although with Morton being taught more than a year ago, his time's overdue to learn by months.

The youngest koopaling surveys the doomship's control panel. Various switches, buttons and lightbulbs intimidate him, although a few have labels on them, such as the ignition. The koopaling pushes the ignition, knowing full well the ship needs to be started before it can soar the skies. The engines start up with their familiar roars, and with the roaring, several of the lightbulbs, as well as a digital screen showing strange readings, all light up.

"Uhh," Larry gives the screen a blank stare, unable to recall what to do next. He's acquainted with helicopters, having pillaged through some before as part of spy missions, and since the doomship has a fixed wheel rather than a throttle, it'll work more as a helicopter than an airplane. Shrugging, Larry looks at the screen; the doomship's in Hover mode, so that must be a good thing. He then pushes his foot on the right pedal, causing the doomship to have near vertical flight.

Larry continues pressing on the pedal until he finds himself well off the ground. With nerves unraveled, the junior cadet presses a blue button he sees both his dad and his six siblings always press when they're hovering in mid-air. With the press, the doomship switches from Hover to Forward, and this time the doomship jets forward as he presses his foot to the pedal.

"Woo yeah! I'm flying a doomship, baby!" Larry sang, practicing his steering in-air to avoid flocks of birds. Looking down, he spots the familiar lavender field followed by the woods near the castle.

The flight only lasts a little over half an hour, but to Larry, the entire thrill of the flight made the trip seem only a few minutes at most. Peering down at the ground and noticing the transition from the woods to the castle grounds, he starts panicking again. Perhaps the toughest part of driving a doomship is parking it, and there's no way he'd be able to do anything more complex than just landing it.

Pressing the blue button again, Larry changes the gears from Forward to Hover again, but this time, presses on the left pedal, causing the doomship to fall towards the earth at an unsafe speed. In fear, Larry lets off the pedal and taps on the right pedal to lift the ship, repeating the process until the doomship lands.

"Well, uhh… At least I landed and didn't crash…"

Larry makes his way out of the doomship, surprised that he parked the ship closer to the castle than he anticipated. He'll make one of his siblings park it in the hangar later on or tomorrow, but for now, more important business looms on.

He needs to find Kamek.

* * *

By the time Larry arrives at the castle, the rest of the koopalings retired for the night, all tuckered out from repeating magic trick after magic trick. Only Kamek and Kammy remain awake in their laboratory, processing information about their toadies while doing paperwork to send some out to find Bowser.

"Well, today's been quite the interesting day," Kamek stated, "I'm too old to watch over six kids like that! Especially Roy and Wendy; they always act up during our sessions."

Kammy nods her head in acknowledgment, "Not to mention you raised King Bowser too. That's impressive. For them not being his kids, they have quite the personalities of his younger self."

"Yeah. Raising him, his younger siblings and Ludwig alone did quite the number on me. I'm just glad you're here to help out, Kammy. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you here."

"What?" Kammy questioned with a grin, "Did I just witness ol' rough-and-tough Kamek go soft? Aww, that's so cute!"

"It's not cute!" Kamek blushed, "It's very evil! We need two of us to spread the fear!"

"Uh huh."

"It's true!"

"Lies!"

"Truth!"

"You like being around me!"

"No! Only for the help!"

"Uh huh, excuses."

"N-"

Kamek gets interrupted when Larry barges into the laboratory, exhausted and gasping for breath as if he ran across the entirety of Plit. Embarrassed, both magikoopas turn to their computers once they notice him, pretending to work. Despite the many times the youngest koopaling would notice fishiness, he appears to be too focused on something to pick it out.

"Kamek…" Larry pants, "Dad…"

Most times, Kamek and Kammy will discipline people who burst into the area without knocking. However, Larry's appearance followed by his father's mentioning only cause Kamek and Kammy to exchange confused looks before giving Larry their full attention.

"Your father, Master Lawrence?" Kamek questioned, "You know what happened to him?"

"Yes! He, uhh," Larry stuttered, not knowing how to explain the predicament, "He, he got thrown into jail!"

"Jail, you say?" Kammy asked, still processing the information, "How'd this happen?"

Larry retells how he explored Bowser's doomship to find his seeds, and was taken to the Mushroom Kingdom by accident. He then recalls his point of view when both Bowser and Peach got arrested, earning gasps from both magikoopas. Larry then tells them about spying on Mario, and learning that Mario, Luigi and Daisy plan to ship both of them off to Jewelry Land first thing in the morning.

Kamek and Kammy both have thoughtful faces by the time Larry finishes his story. They couldn't believe it: not only did their king get captured, but the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom also fell victim! This must be the prophecy the many ancient Koopan sages prophesied long ago! They must do what it takes to protect their kingdom from Mario's potential attacks.

"Master Lawrence…" Kamek voiced after his bout with shock, "Go to bed… Now. First thing in the morning, we will have a meeting with all your siblings to plan on how to counteract Mario's reign."

* * *

 


	13. Convention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After hearing Larry's news, Kamek attempts to plan the Koopa Troop's next move. Meanwhile, Peach realizes her grim reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this published on FFN for two weeks, but I forgot to update on here. Sorry!

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

**Convention**

* * *

Kamek fails to receive more than an hour of sleep at a time before waking up. Larry's announcement put the magikoopa's mind into overdrive, resulting in him brainstorming plans on rescuing Bowser and Peach. Mario must be the prophesied usurper; he must've been behind these events, as Larry told him, and the Koopa Troop must stop his shenanigans.

The magikoopa sighs as he reaches over on his nightstand to grab his spectacles. Putting them on, he glances at the clock. 2:40AM; too early to wake up everyone else, even for something urgent and unplanned. The Koopalings will need all the sleep they can get to make sound decisions. Instead, Kamek retreats into his laboratory to jot down some ideas while finishing work from the night before.

"The kingdom's in danger," Kamek told himself, "I just need to come up with ideas on what to do."

The high-ranking magikoopa ponders over many circumstances. In one, the Koopa Troop defends the Koopa Kingdom against the Mushroom Kingdom. He figures the Troop will like this plan best, but to him, that option will go against Koopan prophesy. In this situation, the Koopas still defend their land, but they also must be on the offensive to take out Mario. Due to those prophesies, only defending the Koopa Kingdom will not work due to the low quantity of troops compared to the Mushroom Kingdom's Royal Fleet; the Mushroom Kingdom must be flanked somehow.

Considering that realization, the magikoopa comes up with his current plan: most, if not all, of Dark Land needs to be given up, and the Mushroom Kingdom will receive false security. During Dark Land's long and bloody civil war months after Morton Sr's death, the Mushroom Kingdom's security didn't exist at present levels; they were lulled into thinking their sole threat couldn't keep itself together, let alone go on invasion missions. Only with the complete takeover and ouster of Morton Sr.'s traditional kingdom by Darklandian rebels in 1985 did the current Mushroom Kingdom security reenacted due to the resurrected princess kidnappings. Hence, Dark Land requires a façade of instability and vulnerability.

Meanwhile, the pipe to Jewelry Land's Pipe Island appears in the Pipe Maze; a corps will need to instead take over Pipe Land, or otherwise inform King Pipeus to join the rebellion, before Mario's troops use it to surround Peach and Bowser. Dark Land contains nothing other than history and the symbolism of being the Koopas' homeland, while Pipe Land houses infrastructure vital to ending Mario's rule.

Lastly, Koopan air forces need to keep the Mushroomer air force and navy in check, and prevent them from getting to Jewelry Land in that way. Dark Land's air force outranks the Mushroom Kingdom's in both the number of aircraft and the power of them. Although the Mushroom Kingdom's navy fares better, they won't be any match against the Dark Land's Air Fleet's extra dimension of movement.

This plan will be risky, Kamek concluded, but if they don't sacrifice, they won't have a large win over a mighty superpower such as the Mushroom Kingdom. They cannot defend Dark Land anymore. The prophesy will come to pass.

With the blueprints of the plan jotted down, Kamek makes his way back to his bed, this time falling asleep within minutes.

* * *

Peach finds herself floating in the woods, the same two magikoopas in front of her in the same landscape. Confused, she tries touching them again, but once again, they don't respond. She recognizes the one to be a younger Kamek from her previous dream, but she never figured out who the magikoopa female is. Kamek's also not diligent with giving out her name either, no matter what he says.

"Nice talk, Kamek. Please make sure your toadies do well following King Morton's plans. Thanks," the purple-robed female magikoopa thanked as she shapeshifts into a common, purple-shelled koopa.

Wait, shapeshifted? Peach rubs her eyes and looks again; the koopa's still there. She couldn't believe it; from what she understands from Bowser, magikoopas, although powerful, mystical beings, never possess the ability to shapeshift. Only duplighosts know the magic, so this magikoopa must be either one of the most powerful mortals to live, or part duplighost, which Peach rejects.

Peach awakes with a start. There's no way magikoopas can shapeshift; shapeshifting's nothing but a silly fairy tale. A dream. That's all it was. However, no matter how many times she thinks that to herself, she can't brush off the feeling that this is more than just a make-believe conversation; rather, it's history.

Thinking less about the dream and more on her present conditions, she panics. Not only is she stuck in another cell by a passed-out Bowser, but a flying sensation overcomes her. She's no longer on the ground, but on an aircraft. She's being transported, yet she doesn't know where.

"What the?" Peach continues looking around the room in shock, "This… This isn't just a dumb dream?"

Peach lays back down in misery, pondering over the whole situation. She can't believe she's been swiped by her own guards; now they're sending her to an unknown place. Mario let this happen to her, she concludes as anger seeps through her. Luigi and Daisy also gave her the silent treatment, albeit not directly involved in her jail time she figures. Not to mention, on top of those issues, her parents vanished from view, and she's being blamed for it. She knows her punishment won't be good; she knows it.

A coup's occurring; she's on the wrong end of it. She only hopes the citizens she rules over will fight against this illegal takeover.

As Peach feels the sensation to cry, she passes out again, the rhythmic sound of aviation engines encircling her.

She only hopes a group of gladiators will set things straight.

* * *

"Koopalings! Make your way to the meeting room immediately!"

Larry awakes and freshens up his ragged hair before exiting his room, hearing a chorus of six different groans and six near-zombies exiting their rooms. The youngest giggles to himself as he sees Wendy almost trip from being delusional. Unlike his older siblings, Larry's prior information on the meeting's occurrence prevented him from turning into the seventh near-sleepwalker.

All seven kids make their way to one of the many meeting rooms in the east wing of the castle, this time in a room displaying ten chairs and pictures of Bowser from his vacation in King K. Rool's share of Alligator Archipelago. The seven koopalings each occupy a chair while Kamek and Kammy perch at both ends of the table.

"Man, it's so early. You're totally torturing us!" Wendy yawned, earning a nod from the five other elder koopalings.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Iggy questioned as he adjusts his thick-rimmed glasses, "Something happen? And where's Dad?"

The six older koopalings begin firing question after question at the magikoopas. As the ruckus builds up, Kamek stands from his chair, raises his hands, holds his index fingers to his thumbs and closes his eyes, as if entering a meditative state. Seeing and knowing the sign, Kammy calls out from the other side of the table.

"QUIET!"

The six koopalings quit their complaining and stare at Kamek. After remaining in the position for a few seconds, Kamek opens his eyes, pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and smirks.

"Good. I have everyone's attention now. So, the reason I called you all in here is because of an issue involving your father."

The six older koopalings all gasp, but before any of the six can blurt out questions, Kamek raises his hand out towards them.

"Shh, let me talk before I answer questions please. Anyway, I have received knowledge, from Master Lawrence here, that your father's being held captive by the Mushroom Kingdom."

The six elder koopalings gasp again at the news, exchanging questioning looks between Larry and Kamek. Their father never gets captured by the Mushroom Kingdom; whenever he does, he has enough energy to break away and retreat to the castle. Either Bowser got caught off-guard, the Mushroom Guard strengthened, or both.

"W-w-w-wait, what? I mean, that's crazy! The ultimate, uncatchable King finally got captured?!"

"Like, how did he?"

"This is not good. This is so not good."

Kamek peers at Morton, Wendy and Iggy, taking in their words of shock. He then looks at Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig, who remain quiet about the revelation. With the magikoopa's gaze fixed on them, they begin spewing their concerns.

"Pops is captured? Did Peach do dis?"

"What are we gonna do?"

"Vhat vill become ze fate of ze kingdom of ours?"

Kamek nods, taking in all the koopalings' questions and concerns. He then brainstorms for another minute, finding the best way to explain his plan as well as answering the concerns.

"Okay, here it goes. Bowser has been kidnapped by the Mushroom Kingdom. However, Peach did NOT order the capturing of him. In fact, she also got kidnapped by her own troop. This is the sign of the Usurper coming. For those not familiar with that prophesy, someone who originally befriends what we assume to be the Mushroom Kingdom will turn against both the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land. With The Usurper in charge, Dark Land's fate will be terrible; in short, we'll be destroyed. It'll be taken over by the 'Elite Empire', which we also assume is the Mushroom Kingdom controlled by The Usurper."

The koopalings, familiar with their father's rantings on Mario, prophesies and historical accounts, all nod at the explanation. But, they thought, how can something already prophesied be stopped?

"Please keep in mind. Prophesies do NOT tell us how a specific event will end. They only tell us that such events will occur," Kammy reminded, appearing to have read the Koopalings' minds, "So, we have to follow it. Dark Land needs to be given up, and it will due to the prophesies, but such forecasts never say that we cannot get it back."

"So what now?" after Kammy's explanation, Lemmy repeats his previous question, although fearing the answer, "Is this prophesy right?"

"Yes and no. The way I see things happening from my decades of experience with conflict, the Koopa Kingdom will be taken over, no matter which direction we go. If we do nothing but defend, we'll have tough, nasty battles, and we eventually lose. If we go on the offense somewhere else, we have less troops here to protect the Land. However, although our Land might be overrun by Mushroomers, it won't be permanent. Eventually, people will see the true evil of The Usurper, and they will rebel from their rule. Our land will come back at that point, at the very latest," Kamek explains, boggling the minds of all seven koopalings, "And this is only the start. Bowser and Peach are no longer in the Mushroom Kingdom."

The koopalings, and even Kammy, all have grim looks on their faces. Soon, they'll be without a kingdom; they'll be commoners, or worse: prisoners. However, they could also be military commanders and take over the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's this direction Kamek strives to go down.

"Instead, according to Master Lawrence's surveillance, they are in Jewelry Land. We all know Jewelry Land; although militarily unaligned, Jewelry Land, combined with Sarasaland, form the Big Three with the Mushroom Kingdom. If all three are allies in the same war, they'd win; we'd have no chance. And, unfortunately, it appears that Daisy's also in on Mario's plot, so we must get Jewelry Land since Sarasaland now supports the Mushroom Kingdom. This is why, in a gross form of irony, if we want to save the Koopa Kingdom, we must lose it. Instead, get to Jewelry Land before Mario can."

All seven koopalings appear hesitant about the whole plan, but trusting the wisest member of the Koopa Troop, they decide to give the plan a whirl. On behalf of his six younger siblings and himself, Ludwig speaks out in support of Kamek's ideas.

"I have my trust in you, Kamek. As my guardian growing up, and as Fazzer's, I know you vant ze best for us. Now, how vill ve do zis plan?"

"First off, we need to stock up for our missions. We will leave tomorrow," Kamek instructed, "But we have a slew of duties today. Ludwig and Ignatius, make sure every doomship's running in optimal condition. All mechanics and engineers will be on call to help you. Lemmy and Morton, make sure we're well stocked on food, necessary supplies and weapons for each doomship. Once again, our farmers and inventors will be on call. Roy and Wendy, rally up the conscripted soldiers and get them prepared, then help Lemmy and Morton after. Lawrence, you stay here in the castle; I need to talk to you more about King Bowser, the Princess and our plan."

The elder six koopalings nod at their partner, each relieved over who Kamek chose to assist them.

"I'm not calling for a meeting tomorrow, so I'll now go over your assignments that go into effect first thing tomorrow morning," Kamek continued, "There are three ways to get to Jewelry Land: through the Pipe Maze, by sea and by air. I will need three divisions to take over Pipe Land, or the Pipe Maze at the very least, and I'll need three forces to patrol the seas between the Mushroom Kingdom and Jewelry Land. Ludwig, Roy and Morton, you three are the best at navigating the doomships, so I'm putting you three in charge of the surveillance and the commanders of the Air Fleet."

Ludwig, Roy and Morton nod at the command, although the former and the two latters glare at each other.

"Lemmy, Iggy and Wendy, take over the Pipe Maze."

Lemmy, Iggy and Wendy each nod, though this time, none of the three glare at each other.

"Lastly, Larry, continue to spy on the Mushroom Kingdom. If you can, try to rig them in our favor. Catch a ride there with Ludwig."

Larry accepts the mission, grinning unlike the other six. He's glad he still gets to spy on them, as well as tamper with anything they consider to be important; it's what he does best.

"Good. I'm proud of you all. Kammy and I will tag along with each group; Kammy will be with the land troops, while I'll be with the air fleet. Larry, you're on your own, so be careful. Any questions from anyone?"

Larry nods, acknowledging the offer, as did the six elder koopalings. None of them raise their hands or speak up.

"Good. Please finish today's assignments and get your armies ready for tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach learns that her incarceration wasn't just an isolated event, but something much bigger than she thought. Meanwhile, the Koopa Troop prepares for war against the Mushroom Kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the infamous Chapter 14 that I've mentioned before, but with this, the rest of the story has a smoother flow, which we all can appreciate. Some good news is the next few chapters will be more in-depth on the folks in Jewelry Kingdom. Yay!
> 
> Once again, thanks to my beta reviewers, and also thanks to all of you for the support!

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard II: Revelations**

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

**Conspiracies**

* * *

Sunlight leaks into a dingy, rusted-over cell and strikes Peach, waking her up as its warm rays pierce her skin. The princess frowns as she looks around; the situation's worse than any dream she had: this is reality. The betrayal on her did happen, and now she's in a mysterious, run-down prison.

She hears a groan near her. Looking back, she spots Bowser, who also appears to have woken up not long before her. Peach turns her back to Bowser; she just wants to think about everything rather than talk to him.

She ponders about Daisy. Her best friend. The two of them didn't have the same personality, but Peach loved spending her time with Daisy. Now, Daisy just gives her the cold shoulder; she might even be involved in this betray-Peach-to-go-to-war-with-the-koopas plan, although she prays Daisy isn't.

Peach then thinks about Mario; what could've been. Thinking about him, Peach at first gets choked up; she feels the tears running down her face. She and Mario were meant to be; they were supposed to be happy for the rest of their days, ruling the kingdom side by side as the bountiful blessing of time flows through them. They were supposed to attend official business together. They were supposed to flee from the public lights and rekindle their everlasting love. But now that's all gone.

Reality strikes again; this time, anger upwells in Peach. It's all gone because of HIM. Good riddance with those traitors; those tyrants; those tools. They'll see the errors in their ways when time comes. She's over Mario; he didn't show her any love, he only wanted power. He wanted to make his gain of power appear legal for the rest of the country. Even worse, he paints her as being a criminal responsible for kidnapping her own parents. Mario didn't provide; he only used.

Her thoughts break up when she hears Bowser clearing his throat followed by him voicing a concern.

"Geez, you okay over there?"

Peach knows he's being sincere, but she also didn't want to deal with him at the moment. To her, Bowser's only another player in this entire betrayal scene. If it wasn't for him, she would still be in power and her parents would be safe.

"Just leave me alone."

"Well, if you say so," Bowser replied before turning away from her also, "But the Koopa Troop will get us."

Peach sighs, "If the Koopa Troop's our answer, then am I even asking the right question?"

"That's for you to find out."

The two sit in an awkward silence, each thinking about the friends and family back home or, in Peach's case, abroad in who-knows-where. Both prisoners perk up when they hear door hinges squeak; they turn to see Luigi walking down the stairs.

"Luigi!" Peach cried out, "Please, let us out!"

Luigi ignores Peach and instead, seats himself on the guard chair and starts tossing the dungeon keys in the air, catching them about sixty percent of the time.

Peach continues watching Luigi in silence, hoping the green-clad plumber will notice her. After Luigi throws the keys in the air for the five-hundredth time and drops them for the five-dozenth times, Peach stands up and speaks again.

"Luigi! Let us out! Please!"

Luigi stops tossing the keys in the air and gazes at Peach before replying, "No can do. Sorry."

"Why are you keeping me here for, anyway?" Peach questioned, hoping to find a slab of humanity left in her brother-in-law.

Luigi shrugs his shoulders, disinterested, "Because I'm supposed to. Mario asked me to, and he trusts me."

"Why?" Peach questioned.

"Who knows, who cares. It's just dumb stuff with the kingdom. We're invading the Koopa Kingdom, and there's nothing that either of you can do," Luigi shot back.

Peach gasps; her worst fears, now confirmed. Mario did mastermind the entire thing and he took Luigi under his wing. The Mushroom Kingdom can't go to war! Her Royal Guard cannot handle the onslaught the Koopa Troop will unleash on them! Too many of her soldiers will die in this careless invasion!

He must've involved Daisy too, just to get Sarasaland's army on his side. Meanwhile, she looks over at Bowser, who appears to be seething underneath his anguished demeanor.

"Why, Plumber Boy?" Bowser interrogated, "We haven't done anything recently other than kidnap Peach at the reception!"

"Mario says you're all evil fascists who kill people in the blink of an eye," Luigi replied, "And you all need to be under Mushroom Kingdom rule to be purified by fire, or you will kill us."

"Do you honestly believe everything he says?" Peach questioned. She fears over the other lies Mario told his younger brother, although she hides away the emotion and replaces it with assertiveness.

"He's my brother! He wouldn't lie to me!"

"Well, he's lying," Peach replied.

"No he's not!"

"He lied to me, and I'm his WIFE!"

"So?! We have a bond! We had it for years!"

Peach senses an emotion somewhere deep within Luigi, something deep and dark. Perhaps she'll get him thinking if she can strike that perfect note.

"I know about the things Mario said to you, Luigi," Peach mentioned, "About how all you'll ever be is the sidekick. I bet he never lied about that, huh?"

"W-what are you talking about?" Luigi gasped in disbelief.

"You know what I'm talking about. Around him, all you are is the Sidekick. Number Two. Punching Bag. If you follow Mario, you'll be just that."

"That's not true!" Luigi shouted, "Now stop attacking Mario!"

"That's all you'll ever be, if you follow him," Peach repeats, this time in a sad voice, "It's a shame you have to give all your talent up-"

"Stop! Now!"

"He uses that to his advantage, just to get you on his side. No one will know your name, you'll be a useless little barnacle around him. Do you really want that?"

"Stop!"

"Mario doesn't have the right to treat his brother the way he does. The thrashings, the-"

"STOP!" Luigi shouted, picking up the guard table before throwing it at Peach. Seeing the object fly towards her, Peach jumps back, slamming her back against the wall and winces as she sits down and cowers, "Stop with your concerns! Mario cares about me, that's all you need to know! Now sit and act like my prisoner!"

Luigi picks the keys up from the floor and dashes out of the dungeon. Bowser blinks both in confusion and in shock over the situation, while Peach attempts to settle her racing heart. She couldn't believe she said those things to Luigi, and she's disappointed in herself for it, but she also couldn't believe his reaction to the whole thing. While Mario was up and ready to conquer any threatening foe, Luigi's always been meek and gentle, not desiring the extermination of Bowser's minions unlike his older brother. Mario wanted vengeance; Luigi wanted peace. Peach loved that about him, yet she targeted that very trait.

"Wow…" Bowser managed to utter words about his bout of surprise, "I… Err, never seen that coming, especially from you."

"Honestly, I… I didn't either."

Both prisoners silence their speech as another figure walks downstairs, this time sporting an orange dress rather than green-and-blue overalls. With a concerned look, the figure approaches Peach.

"Daisy…"

"Peach?" Daisy acknowledged, "I heard shouts down here. What did you say to Luigi?"

Peach sighs before explaining, "The truth. You know, between him and Mario, and the… Verbal abuse."

Daisy shakes her head as Peach explained, "Not a smart move with him. Luigi cares a lot about his brother. Anything against Mario, he tends to freak out over, even when Mario deserves such criticism. I can't blame him, y'know? That sibling bond's deeper than either of us will know, us being from only-child families. Those two been through everything together, with only each other to survive on."

"So I see," Peach shivers at the encounter just minutes prior before she puts two and two together, "Wait a minute. Daisy, why are you here?"

"Hah! I can't guard my own prisoner without being interrogated?" Daisy questioned rhetorically before explaining, "Do you want the truth?"

"Sort of, yes."

"Well…" Daisy continued, "I'm not a fan of Mario. Not at all. I only followed his plan to 'kidnap' you two and bring you here to get us here. We need to see King Fret before the Big Three gets set up."

"'Big three'?" Peach questioned, "Sarasaland's involved also?"

"Unfortunately, yes, and we're fighting on Mario's side. Although I rule over Sarasaland's domestic policies, in war matters like this, I can only represent Chai, and we vote last. Since Birabuto, Muda and Easton all voted for war against the Koopas, I didn't have to, resulting in Mario still thinking I'm on his side."

"Well…" Peach hesitated, "I wish you told me all about this at the library or some other place."

"I couldn't. I was monitored there," Daisy moaned, "I wish I could, but I was supposed to 'corrupt' you with the Koopa stuff to get you arrested and… Well, I'm sorry for all that."

Peach didn't know what to think now. Just minutes ago, she would've considered Daisy a threat, but now that she told her side of the story, Peach questions her judgment.

"So, I know it's so soon after betrayal and all," Daisy replied, holding her hand out to Peach, "But… Best friends again?"

Peach first looks at Daisy's hand, then at Daisy before replying, "I don't know Daisy, I'm just making everything out of this mess."

"I understand. I've been a bad friend; I should've told you all about this earlier," Daisy apologized.

Peach smiles before reaching out her arm and shaking hands with Daisy. "I don't know if I can trust you in the same way for a while, but I'm willing to try. Friends."

After the shake, Daisy nods and replies, "No worries, I understand."

"Aww, that's so cute and all," Bowser mocked from his side of the cell, "But can we get out?"

"Bowser," Daisy sighed, "Hang tight in there, turtle dude. I'm gonna talk to Luigi about this whole thing once he cools down. Hopefully he'll also join in with us three."

Without another spoken word, Daisy walks up the stairs, and much like Peach's hopes, rises out of the dungeon.

* * *

Just miles from Kastle Koopa rests Caldera, the go-to area of civilization in an otherwise tribalistic Dark Land. Although Caldera prefers modernism and the world community over the nationalistic ideas of the Royal Family, the city's also a key area of support for Bowser's regime, both during and after Dark Land's civil war, due to Bowser allowing Caldera more autonomy. Any time Dark Land's vulnerable to foreign powers, the Caldera residents flock in droves to join the Koopa Troop, despite the city's reputation of desiring stronger economic relations with the Mushroom Kingdom and the world.

As such, both Roy and Wendy hope this situation will be no exception as they seek out Koopa Troop draftees in Dark Land's largest city.

The two Koopalings, leading a bus convoy in a gray, drybones-themed bus, drive down Caldera's busy Main Street. Recognizing the convoy's purposes, the residents scamper; some eager to board, while others flee the scene.

With Wendy at the wheel and shifting the gears into park, Roy opens the entrance doors and grabs the communicator for the buses' outside megaphone system.

"Quit yer slackin' and start yer packin'! We need you for da war effort of protecting da Homeland!" Roy called out through the buses' megaphone system. Within minutes, hundreds of able-bodied baddies, mostly males with qualified female draftees speckled here and there, form a line before the bus, draft cards and duffel bags in hand.

Needing the check each citizen's draft cards, Roy exits the bus, Wendy not far behind him.

"I guess people got the memo we sent out earlier," Wendy marveled, "They're totally prepared after only a few hours' notice.

"Yep," Roy stated as he reads over a paratroopa's card and points towards the bus at the end of the convoy line, a bored expression implanted on his face.

Wendy aids Roy in his duty, although signaling her draftees to board her bus at the front of the convoy.

"You don't seem excited."

Roy looks up from his draftee's card before giving his sister a glare.

"'Course I ain't excited, genius. Ya think I really want war?" Roy growled, "Growin' up, I didn't know who I was 'cus of war. I like fighting. I even like battles. But I hate war's effects."

"Huh..." Wendy acknowledged, "Never thought about that."

"Yeah. Hard knock life, ain't it?" Roy grumbled.

"I thought it was about Luigi-" Wendy stated before her brother interrupts.

"You don't EVER mention that name," Roy snarled, "Capiche?"

"So it's so..." Wendy muttered under her breath, her words silent enough for Roy to not notice.

The duo remains silent as they check each underling's draft card and direct them to the appropriate bus. Despite the caravan filling up, the surrounding crowd's size remains relentless, although the draftees appear less enthused than before.

"I can't go! I'll miss Remembrance! It's important in my belief system!" a koopa troopa cried as Roy checks his draft card.

"Yeah yeah, and I'll be missin' Monday's football game. We can't always get what we want. Get on da bus," Roy retorted.

As the koopa troopa grumbles and boards the bus, Wendy glares at her older brother.

"Roy. I know you don't do religion, but you can at least respect our family's Darklandian beliefs, jerk."

"Who said I didn't?" Roy fired back, "Dey can practice whatever belief dey want, but civic duties come first. Besides, I'm sure dey'll be forgiven by whatever thing dey believe in for fightin' for a Land where dey're free to practice dat stuff."

"Whatever, dude."

As the hours dwindled, so did the crowd size, until Wendy directs the last draftee towards the middle bus. With the caravan at capacity, Wendy gives Roy a thumbs up before boarding the first bus. Following his sister's lead, the buff koopaling also boards and grabs the megaphone system's communicator.

"Your units will be da same units youse been trainin' with during your trainin' summers. Get to da barracks and check your stuff. We take off first thing tomorrow," the koopaling announces to the now-initiated soldiers. Putting the gears into drive, Wendy then leads the convoy towards the Castle.

* * *

"Wrench."

Ludwig groans as he puts down his hammer and pulls out the wrench toolkit, where numerous wrench sizes greet him.

"Size?"

"38mm," Iggy replied from beneath Wendy's jack-lifted doomship. Ludwig digs for the wrench in question until he spots the mid-sized wrench. He hands it to Iggy, who then tightens a nut on the doomship's engine.

"You know, Ignatius," Ludwig started as he hammers a portion of the doomship's wooden frame onto a thick sheet of metal covering the doomship's skeleton, "I'm not confident in ze ability of zis vanadium steel. I notice more fuel usage in mine, and I have ze vanadium."

"Vanadium steel's all we got because we don't have titanium! Aluminum's too flimsy in situations like war! We gotta make use of what we have!" Iggy exclaimed in a near-annoyed tone before adding, "29mm wrench."

"It's just," Ludwig replied as he hands Iggy the wrench, "Vanadium steel's twice ze density of titanium, vhich means more fuel usage. Ve could use a whole ten times ze amount of fuel."

"It's not ten times!" Iggy exclaimed, "Vanadium steel, laced with chromium which we have, is 7.8 grams per cubic centimeter, while titanium's 4.5 grams per cubic centimeter and aluminum's 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Vanadium steel's less than double that of titanium, man! Sure, we'll have more weight, but not as much as you'd think. The average current weight of an empty aluminum-based doomship right now is 39,006 kilograms, and 15,039 kilograms of it comes from the 557 square meters of aluminum used. Replace it with vanadium steel and the total weight of an empty doomship comes out to be 67,413 kilograms. What does that mean? I'll tell you! Usually fuel usage and weight go hand-in-hand, so since we have a 73 percent increase of weight, we'd have a 73 percent extra fuel usage at take-off. That's the MAXIMUM, too! 73 percent is nowhere near ten times as much fuel! Now pass me the welding torch!"

"Ze idea of hyperbole just leaped over your cranium, did it not, Ignatius?" Ludwig stated as he hands Iggy a welding torch and a welding mask. In haste, the inventor slips on the mask and torches two pieces of vanadium steel together.

"Hyperbole's a dangerous concept in science, Luddy bud! Keep that humanities gobbledegook out of here!"

"Vhatever. You need a sense of humor; it lights up everyzing."

"Yeah yeah, whatever Lud," Iggy sighed, "Chainsaw, please."

"Pardon? Vhy do you need vun of zose, Ignatius?"

"Just get me one! I need it to remove these stripped bolts!"

"Okay, okay!"

Ludwig grabs a chainsaw and places it by Iggy. Sighting the chainsaw, the inventor bursts out laughing.

"Vhat?"

"You... Heh heh heh... You SERIOUSLY brought me a chainsaw?! Hahahaha!" Iggy guffawed, "You don't use a chainsaw to remove stripped bolts! You use a rotary tool, silly goose! Now get me one!"

"Tell me zat next time!" Ludwig growled.

"You need a sense of humor; it lights up everything," Iggy does a high-pitched mimicry of Ludwig's voice, "Gotcha!"

"Vell-pulled. I lured myself into zat vun, did I not?" the eldest koopa groaned, "Vhat ships do ve have left?"

"Just mine. We should get the servants to move Lemmy's and Dad's doomships outside so Morton and Lemmy can load 'em up. Speaking of, this one should almost be done."

"I'm glad ve're making progress. Unfortunately, zat means I'm closer to having to deal with two boneheads over ze ocean."

"C'mon Lug, they can't be THAT bad."

"Yes, zey are. Did you see what zey did to us? Zey razzer have us fail zan have me be successful; just look at vhat zey did vith Peach's kidnapping. Roy has confidence issues, and Morton's too much of a follower of him; zey'd mess up anything to coddle zeir insecurities."

"Good point," Iggy nods as he pushes himself from underneath the doom ship and pulls off his dirtied latex gloves, "I'm not too excited dealing with Wendy either. But we need to abandon those feelings and just get this done. This is your future kingdom."

"Zat's true... But I'm still lacking high hopes. Zey both screwed up at least a zousand missions."

"37 missions," Iggy corrected, "But that doesn't count Morton throwing Larry at you instead of at Mario. He just always claimed that was an accident. He would've bragged about it, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt."

"Again, you don't grasp ze understanding of hyperbole, do you not, Ignatius?"

"Again! Literature skills are useless in the field of discovery, and humanities and 'social sciences' are all fake science! That's all it is! If even I say that, you know that it is! But just let go of Morton and Roy, guy, and just hope for the best!" Iggy advised, "Think that's Wendy's doomship done. We just have Dad's to do."

"Ze other mechanics should've already made basic upgrades on ze follower doomships. Zey're not terribly happy about zeir annual leave cut short, but ve need to do vhat is necessary."

"It happens, sadly. Now, let's get Dad's doomship here!"

* * *

"C'mon, pipsqueak! Work those muscles!"

Lemmy sighs as Morton speeds past him, two large pharmaceutical boxes in his arms. Being an organizer and not as capable concerning physical strength, the small koopaling's more comfortable with checking off the supplies rather than loading. He figured he'll do that duty, while Morton does the heavylifting, although his younger brother fails to notice the strategy of splitting work.

"I'm the organizer!"

"That's codeword for being lazy, yeah?" Morton grunted, "Making me do all the work, ay?"

"It's my job to organize! Not carry stuff!" Lemmy argued as he enters Ludwig's doomship, checklist in hand. He hears Morton complaining about how the entire fleet depends solely on his strength and not on the tidiness of little punks, but Lemmy rolls his eyes at such ramblings as he goes through the list, "Morton! Ludwig just need two more carts of food, one of water and a barrel of gunpowder."

The grey-shelled koopaling groans as he stomps towards the kitchen. Snickering, Lemmy leaves Ludwig's doomship, where he spots the convoy of soldiers arriving at the castle's barracks. He spots Wendy heading towards the castle's main doors not long after – he assumes to get more rest – before also sighting Roy walking towards him.

"Circus freak!" the large koopaling confronted, "How's da progress?"

"We still need your ship, your fleet's, Ludwig and his fleet's, Dad's and Wendy's. Help us, please Roy!" Lemmy cried.

"Uhh... I would, but, y'know..." Roy looked at his wrist as if he wore a watch, "Would ya look at da time! Gotta take a raincheck, pal. I gotta... Uhh, wash my hair. Yeah, dat's it!"

"Hair?" Lemmy questioned before he puts two and two together. Knowing well how to deal with one of the many Royisms, Lemmy smirks, "Morton said he's better at hauling boxes than you are!"

"What?! Why dat tub o' lard!" Roy exclaimed as he storms towards the kitchen, "Dat's a buncha hooey! I'll show dat lil punk!"

Lemmy grins before following Roy to the kitchen, also needing to check on the leftover supplies and whether he needs to alert the farmers, pharmacists or the medical staff. As he enters, he spots Morton surveying a case of water, while Roy attempts to hoist four from the ground.

"Geez, takin' it easy, Gramps?" Roy marveled at Morton as he carries his box stack and struts towards his doomship, "Dis is how you do it, bro."

Morton rolls his eyes before picking up a single case of water and heads towards Ludwig's doomship.

"I'll never understand them, but that's just fine!" Lemmy giggles to himself as he observes four towering stacks of food and water bottles before him, "Umm... The water supply should be good. Food's good..."

Needing to check the leftover pharmaceutical supplies, Lemmy journeys towards the clinic on the east wing of the castle. On a keypad by a steel door within the clinic, the small koopaling enters a password and does a retinal scan – the room's secured by Bowser, the four elder Koopalings, Kamek and Kammy to make sure certain minions don't have terrible intentions with the more potent prescriptions. Satisfied with the inputted credentials, the durable door slides open, revealing a slew of shelved and boxed medicines cooled by a frosty mist shooting from the ceiling. A sucker for cold weather, Lemmy grins at the room's frigid temperature before browsing his list.

"Aspirin, nitroglycerin, morphine, acetaminophen, amoxicillin, hydrocodone, ibuprofen," Lemmy read before grabbing each of the drugs and deposits them in several trays, "Aloe vera, diphenhydramine, hydrocortisone, epinephrine, wound dressings... Uhh, should be it."

With each tray containing each vital medicine, Lemmy puts them on a cart shoved in the back corner of the room, then pushes the cart towards the kitchen. Rounding the corner, Lemmy gapes when he spots the formerly-packed kitchen, now empty of supplies. Roy and Morton must've outperformed the other with some ridiculous box-carrying, doomship-loading contest.

"Geez, what are you doing? Taking the whole damn kitchen?" Lemmy hears Morton shout. Intrigued, Lemmy pushes the cart of trays towards the doomships, where he spots Morton and Roy arguing with each other. Lemmy shakes his head at his younger brothers; they always break out in some sort of conflict just to have fun. It may be their strange way of showing affection towards each other, but he's never sure.

"Naw, Morty, ya never know when ya's gonna be hungry, us growin' men gotta eat," Roy rebutted, "Plus, look at my dudes. Dey're like, all buff and stuff. Dey need lotsa food."

"Yeah, because the people on that one totally need over a hundred kilos of rice, an entire freezer of steaks and six months' supply of Kahlua for a mission that takes maybe a week at most," Morton objected, voice dripping with sarcasm. However, Roy appears immune to such backtalk.

"I'm glad you feel me, lil' bro. Come over here Morty!" Roy thanked before wrapping his arm around Morton's neck and tries giving Morton a noogie, in which the younger koopaling avoids. Morton glares at the pink-clad koopaling. Neither pay mind to Lemmy, who stands by the two, snickering.

"To be fair, we COULD be gone for a while," Lemmy stated, resulting in a grin from Roy, "And your ship's good to go, so who's the greedy one, Morton?"

"Stay out of this, Lemmy. You're more of a drag than any of this cargo," Morton seethed.

"Says da one takin' one box out at a time?" Roy defended, "You're a joke, Big Mouth! At least he uses a cart to make less trips!"

'Fewer,' Lemmy corrected Roy in his head – he must hang around Iggy too much – but with Roy supporting him, Lemmy doesn't mention it out loud.

"You don't have to worry about me though, lil bro!"

"You're the last person we need to worry about right now…" Morton sighed

"I'm pretty sure that's why he said that," Lemmy smirked as Roy gives him a highfive.

"See? Lem understands!"

"Fine," Morton conceded, "Keep your stupid food. I don't care anymore."

As Morton stomps towards the castle, Roy turns towards Lemmy and smirks.

"Say, lil' big bro, you're almost as good at sarcasm and smacktalk as me," Roy complimented, "Maybe you do have hope after all."

Before Lemmy can reply, Roy dashes towards the castle, perhaps in a hurry to hunt Morton down. Lemmy looks at the tray of pharmaceuticals and sighs.

It looks like he's alone in depositing those into each ship.

* * *

Larry sighs as he stands outside Kamek's laboratory, organizing his spy equipment in his shell. Knowing every hideout and safe zone of the Mushroom Kingdom, Larry's confident in his part of the plan. He'll have no trouble infiltrating the Royal Fleet from the inside.

However, that confidence doesn't extend to his siblings. Even with Kamek and Kammy present, each group has its bad blood.

Lemmy, Wendy and Iggy... None of the three formed and executed plans during wartime; out of the seven, Ludwig's the planner and Roy's the executer. Instead, three inexperienced commanders lead the charge on conquering the Mushroom Kingdom's most populous land. Larry hopes he's wrong, but the fight will get ugly.

Ludwig, Roy and Morton's task, however, will be worse – not because of their inexperience, but due to their disdain for each other. Larry never understood why Ludwig and Roy despise each other or how their rabid anger for the other originated, but the spy likes them both. Ludwig always provides Larry stability and a father-like love whenever Bowser's unavailable, while Roy entertains Larry's mischievous side that the sneak loves expressing. Whenever he sees the two at each other's necks, it hurts the youngest; he doesn't want to pledge loyalty to either at the expense of the other when both sculpted the present-day Larry Koopa.

He hopes Ludwig and Roy will cooperate with each other for the kingdom's safety, but from past experiences, Larry's concerned that such a feat may be unachievable.

Larry doesn't know what Kamek and Kammy were thinking when they made such partnerships, but the youngest has faith in the two elders. They know what they're doing, or so he hoped.

Satisfied with the spy equipment's current state, Larry knocks on the laboratory door, in which Kamek opens just a second later.

"Master Lawrence," the blue-robed magikoopa acknowledged, "We've been expecting you. Come in."

Larry follows Kamek into the magikoopas' laboratory. Unlike last night, Larry focuses on the surroundings; despite the floor's cleanliness, the tables housing the computers have countless documents scattered across them. At one of the computers, Kammy types in information while Kamek seats himself at his own computer.

"I created a simulation of our plan," Kamek continued as he launches a program and clicks on a few buttons, "Here's what Peach's Castle looks like."

The program shows multiple security systems, installed by Mario's goons just yesterday, installed and activated. Every window's now connected to the alarm, while dirt mounds smother the tunnels – Larry's favorite method of sneaking into the castle.

"Okay, so there's security. I can easily bypass it," Larry replied.

"Please don't stow these occurrences as if they're nothing, Master Lawrence," Kamek warned, "This isn't just a regular system."

"Not regular?" Larry inquired, "How?"

"I detect a strong magical signature here. We're not dealing with a regular takeover, Master Lawrence. This is a powerful sorcerer. This isn't just a user of dark magic either; they're using all-unleashed black magic. This is something that Mario cannot do on his own."

"Black magic? Isn't that what you and Kammy know?"

"Precisely, Master Lawrence, and that's the problem," Kamek sighed, "Only the most mentally capable can handle black magic; it's extremely corrupting to the mind if you don't have experience with using it. Even Kammy and I rarely use black magic; I can count on one hand the amount of times I did in my life. It's too corruptive and risky."

"Well... What's the best way to deal with this?"

"The best way to defeat magic is with magic, Master Lawrence."

"... Okay? What do you mean?"

"Let me explain it this way for you," Kamek started, "If you have a force present, another force can either amplify it or cancel it out. In magic, we have the same thing. Magic is a force; that's all it is. Magic doesn't create energy or matter; it manipulates what's already present, even if it's in the seventh dimension. Because of the force-like properties of magic, we differentiate it into white magic, light magic, dark magic and black magic. Black and white magic deal with the lifeforce, or the anima as we call it, while light and dark magic deal with other forces such as resisting gravity or teleportation. In fact, the transmogrification spells I taught you kids are considered to be borderline black magic, but I've never heard of a case where it became corruptive."

"So... Black magic is defeated by white magic," Larry concluded.

"Yes and no," Kamek continued, "What people don't understand is each realm has an affinity towards one type of anima-manipulating magic. Affinity is a complicated topic that even Kammy and I know little about or how it cropped up, but it's a phenomenon that exists. In our realm, the affinity favors white magic; for black magic to work here, such energy will need to be linked to a realm favoring black magic. In other words, somewhere on our planet, there's an artefact linking this realm to another realm in which this sorcerer's getting their power from. Once it's destroyed, the affinity for white magic will destroy this black magic, not just white magic itself."

"So white magic is good in this case."

"In this specific case, yes. Let me make the distinction clear, however. Black magic is not inherently evil, nor is white magic inherently good. Black magic is simply chaotic in nature, while white magic is orderly. For example, necromancy can be used for good or for bad, but it's always considered black magic. White magic simply prevents such events from occurring. White magic is just viewed as the automatic 'good' magic because of, once again, our realm's affinity towards it; white magic's more natural to us."

"What should I do to get into Peach's castle then?"

"I was just getting to that," Kamek replied, "Make sure to never use magic there; magic leaves a signature behind, and I'm confident that this sorcerer can sense it, manipulate it and even pinpoint your exact location with it. Instead, find another way to infiltrate the castle. Think of a Trojan horse strategy."

"Is that it?" Larry inquired.

"That is it. Please be careful, Master Lawrence. See if you can find what this artefact is, or at least manipulate the Kingdom from the inside."

Larry nods as he leaves the room, already brainstorming possible ways to get inside Peach's castle. He's uncertain about the whole deal concerning magic, but if Kamek's correct – the youngest believes him with every ounce of his being – he must be careful.

* * *

Luigi wasn't in his chambers, resulting in Daisy pacing around her chambers in the castle, bored out of her mind. She dislikes this fortress with all her being; there's nothing to do. No people to play sports with, no television to watch, nothing to read. Any hint of fun doesn't exist in this dark, dreary castle, and she can't wait to leave it. Of course, she has Peach in the dungeon, but anyone else in the castle will find out about her befriending Peach again if she keeps visiting her.

Daisy lets out a huge sigh. Why couldn't she see this coming sooner? She could've prevented Sarasaland from getting involved, but she didn't. She couldn't. Fate just wants to make everything around her to become her hell, and she didn't enjoy it one bit.

Her thoughts broke up when she hears knocking on her door followed by a familiar voice calling her name. Still depressed by her many thoughts, Daisy opens the door with a grim look before giving the visitor a little smile.

Luigi. Maybe she can persuade him now.

"Hey Weeg," she waves, her smile growing with every passing second, "What brings ya here?"

"Uhh, well, I was wondering if you were hungry. There's some mushroom salad with piranha plant leaves in the kitchen. It's your favorite so I was just wondering."

Daisy shakes her head. The last thing she wants to do is have dinner with several other pro-Mario people. Everything she does will be fishy to them. Plus, she can't stomach food at the moment; this entire ploy's making her sick. All she desires is escape from this citadel; much like Peach, Daisy only feels like a prisoner here.

"No."

"Daisy," Luigi voiced concern, "I'm worried. You haven't been eating much."

"There comes a point where you just can't stomach much food anymore," Daisy sighed before inviting Luigi into her room and continuing on, "Don't you miss our old lives, Luigi? Where me, you, Peach and Mario all got along-"

"Those days are over."

Luigi dismissed the topic as quick as it came, and such actions concern Daisy even more. He wasn't in for it; at least not now. Unless she convinces him in another way.

"I'm just worried…" Daisy sighed, "It's just that, Mario's been acting weird over the past week."

"So what?" Luigi fired back, "He has the thoughts of the Mushroom Kingdom in everything he does."

Ten, five, two years ago she would've agreed. Even two months ago she would've admitted Mario's aegis towards the Mushroom Kingdom. But ever since his marriage to Peach, Daisy only gets odd, terrible vibes from Mario. No matter how hard she tries burying such feelings, they always sprout back up.

"Weeg, look at what he's doing. He's starting up a full-blown war with the Koopa Kingdom! I know they aren't the best people on the other side of the Mushroom Sea, but you gotta understand…" Daisy sighs before continuing on, "The Koopa Kingdom's only there to test a prophecy!"

"Mario prevents them from taking over! The Koopas are still evil!" Luigi protested, although deep down, a former friendship with a koopa from his previous life makes him regret the statement, to some degree.

"He does, but don't you see how far he takes it?!" Daisy shouts back, "Look at Bowser! He's not the best, but how many mushroomers have Bowser killed? I haven't heard of him directly killing one. Yes, he didn't kill ONE! Now look at Mario! When he rescues the princess, how many goombas did he kill? How many koopas? He steps on every single one of them! HE USES SHELLS, FIRE FLOWERS AND OTHER WEAPONS AGAINST THEM! MANY OF THEM DIED! HOW MANY FAMILIES DO YOU THINK LOST A SON, A DAUGHTER, A BROTHER OR A SISTER BECAUSE OF HIM?! AND ALL WE DO IS GLORIFY HIS MURDERS! THAT'S ONE REASON BOWSER KEEPS INVADING! IT'S FOR VENGEANCE AGAINST MARIO!"

Luigi stares at Daisy, a scared expression manifesting itself in his eyes. Daisy knows he's sensitive to such subjects, but at the same time, she knows how immensely loyal he is to his brother. With the sensitivity ripped open, she must now calm down and appeal to the loyalty aspect of him.

"I'm sorry, Weeg," Daisy sighed, "It's just… I don't like violence. Not fatal violence. Sure, Bowser's actions are absolutely despicable and Mario's rescue missions of Peach are great for peace, but Mario takes it wayyyyy too far. I just don't want you to end up the same way. You're Luigi; my Weeg. I don't want Mario's personality nor his traits. I want yours. And I'm afraid you'll turn like him in dealing with issues like this. You also have your sets of valuable skills, but, it's the same thing. I'm scared that those will go to waste also. Be a hero, but be the Luigi everyone will know and love, not the Mario wannabe who stands in the shadow of his big brother."

Luigi remains quiet, pondering over what Daisy mentioned. Was this all true? He always heard Mario's side of things, or in other words, Luigi's the same as him, sans the courage, and he must have vengeance in his mind in order to be successful. He never thought once about how others felt about him, and honestly, that boosts his confidence.

"You're right," Luigi nods, "I care about Mario, but I also care about you. A lot. I wouldn't be able to survive a day in this depressing castle without you here."

Daisy smiles as she puts a hand on Luigi's thigh, causing the plumber to blush.

"Thank you so much, Weeg! You make life bearable here, but we need to move on. From the castle, that is. So please, come with us!"

"'Us'?" Luigi questioned, unaware of anyone else wanting to rebel with them.

"Me, Peach and Bowser, silly! We're gonna right our wrongs!"

Luigi once again hesitates, but just as he promised, he'll stick to Daisy's side, but with one condition.

"I'll join, but please don't talk about Mario like he's evil," Luigi paused in embarrassment, "I still, uhh, love my brother. It's something I can't just break. I want the best for him and, let's be honest, what he's doing right now is, uhh, far from it. I know this isn't something that he signed up for; he loved Peach too much to take this lightly. Or even with only his own thoughts; something's threatening him, or haunting him. I want my normal brother back, and if that requires joining you three, then I'm willing to go."

Daisy smiles as she gives Luigi a little hug, "I'm so proud of you!"

Luigi blushes as Daisy pulls away from the hug before mentioning, "What should we do now?"

"Glad you asked. For this next part, get a large bag and stuff it with food. I'll also need those keys to the prison cells that you've been holding onto."

* * *

**End of Shard II: Revelations**


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach, Bowser, Daisy and Luigi flee the Float Castle, while the Koopa Troop prepare to sacrifice their castle to stop the Mushroom Kingdom's takeover attempts within other Lands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: Well, I finally updated! During November, I was participating in the NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50,000 words in November. Good news is I was successful, albeit in four different stories! Of course, I'm obviously not posting all 50,000 words right now, due to editing and the like, but the wait for the next few chapters of all my stories, including this one, won't be as long a wait. I can definitely squeeze in another chapter before the end of the year, perhaps even two.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XV**

**The Great Escape**

* * *

Wendy yawns as she drains her bubble bath water and watches the stress-polluted liquid slide into the abyss. She figured she'd spend the last moments of the night relaxing and loosening her body before she must deal with her brothers.

Her silly, idiotic brothers. Although she must admit, she likes Lemmy and Iggy more than she does Larry, Ludwig and Morton. From stalking her – or, as Ludwig would call it, "intense research on a subject for purely scientific purposes"; Wendy rolls her eyes at the thought – to pulling pranks on her, those three always find ways to get on her nerves and generally give her the creeps. Still, Lemmy and Iggy possess almost no leadership qualities, and Wendy fears for them and for herself.

The female koopaling dries herself before slipping into some pink pajamas, electing to the fabric's comfort rather than her shell's bulkiness. As she slides on her slippers, she hears a knock on her door.

Startled, Wendy ignores the rapping until it erupts again. Exhaling, she journeys towards her bedroom door and opens it before shaking her head at a large koopa. The koopa rubs his bald head as he gives Wendy a sheepish smile, his two large top fangs hiding much of his teeth.

"It's about time you noticed my existence, Boom Boom," Wendy stated to the visitor, "What brings you over here, dude?"

"Heh," Boom Boom replied, "I always ignored you because you were my boss' daughter. That'd be... Uhh, too odd."

"Seriously? Dude, you still could've totally said hi! I'm not, like, a stickler to Dad or anything!"

"Hey, I'm saying hi now!" Boom Boom defended.

"Touche, dude. Touche."

Boom Boom pauses and gives Wendy an intense stare before replying.

"But to be fair, you're my boss' sister now."

"Wait," Wendy halted, wide-eyed, "Ludwig, Roy or Morton?"

"We both know who's best to pick out of them," Boom Boom stated nonchalantly, "But he always suggested me to talk to you. So, uhh, hi."

"Hi," Wendy replied.

An awkward silence befalls the two; feeling the heaviness, Boom Boom stares at the floor in embarrassment while Wendy stares past the koopa, lost in space.

"Uh... I should, umm, get going. Gotta get ready for tomorrow... Yeah," Boom Boom stuttered before stepping off. Hearing his scampering, Wendy snaps back into reality.

"Wait!" she called out to Boom Boom, resulting in the koopa stopping and turning towards her, "Wanna meet up somewhere after we defeat this stupid plumber?"

Boom Boom beams as he nods his head, "Sounds good!"

Wendy smirks as she watches him retreat towards his quarters. Having fought the Mario Brothers more than any other member of the Koopa Troop save for Bowser, Boom Boom's the most fearless, confident and respected minion. However, as she heard from Roy, those traits evaporate the moment he finds himself talking to a girl.

Boys. Teenaged, hormonal koopa boys, she shuddered, but the last thing she wanted was for Boom Boom to be taught how to treat women by Roy. Although she noticed massive positive changes in her brother's view of women during the recent years the two have been doing their rendezvouses, Boom Boom's too innocent and gentleman-like to be corrupted by potential missteps and unhealed Royish behaviors. Perhaps she needs to take Boom Boom under her wing on such issues.

Feeling a sudden wave of drowsiness overcome her, Wendy steps into her room, turns off the light, takes off her slippers and lies in her bed. Only seconds into thinking about tomorrow's mission, the koopaling enters a dream state.

* * *

Luigi steps into the castle's kitchen; only the dirty plates in the sink and an empty dining table testify of the rest of the castle residents' supper break. Ignoring the clutter and grabbing two large sacks, Luigi stuffs the salad ingredients, multiple fruits, dry foods and other foods into the sacks.

The green-clad plumber studies the castle's kitchen for the last time. He doesn't know when the next time he'll see a kitchen, or a bedroom, or anything of that sort, but Luigi knows this journey will be worth it, in one way or another.

He doesn't know how impactful this adventure will be. The younger Mario brother knows he's betraying his kin, but Luigi dislikes the direction Mario's taking the Kingdom. Under Peach's parents' rule, the Mushroom Kingdom's regarded as the lover of peace; the benevolent cradle of civilized discourse. After Daisy's criticism, Luigi now questions the upcoming war he once agreed with.

The koopas shouldn't be exterminated from their homeland. Even Bowser shouldn't devour the bitter flavour of death. They may have conquered, plundered and kidnapped, but the Mushroom Kingdom doing anything outside their need of defense wouldn't make the Kingdom the good guy either.

Either way, he must continue; he cannot turn back. In an ironic twist of fate, he must team up with the enemy in order to save the ones he loves from themselves.

* * *

"Geez, I think he packed the whole kitchen," Daisy commented, looking up at the now-exposed stars in the sky. Considering they're at the edge of the Dark Realm and not affected by its still-lingering curse, and far from civilization, the view proves to be wonderful. She only wishes she can stay behind and enjoy the light-studded canopy, but the wellbeing of her kingdom depends on her actions, "But if he did, fine with me; I wasn't hungry before, but now I can eat a damn reznor at this point."

"Me too. Did I even eat yesterday?" Bowser pondered, still not used to Jewelry Land's time zone being hours ahead of the Mushroom Kingdom's, "Oh wait, I did."

"I just wish he hurried up, more company than the few guards shouldn't be here for a few more days, but knowing Mario, anything can pop up, especially from Sarasaland—" Daisy pauses when she spots Luigi attempting to balance upright with two large sacks over each shoulder, "Phew, there he is!"

"Sorry!" Luigi starts to run and almost trips over the sagging bags, "Ucck, I got carried away."

"Yeah, I see," Peach replied as Luigi approaches them and collapses onto the ground when he meets them. She glowers at the plumber, moves her eyes to Bowser and glares at him before lowering her eyes to the bags. Figuring she's commanding him, Bowser groans and carries both bags, resulting in Peach smiling.

"Uhh, thanks. I wouldn't have survived all that," Luigi thanked before brushing the dirt off himself. He examines the crumbling second float castle; he can't believe he's rebelling against his own brother, but Luigi knows he must embark on the others' journey for peace to be restored.

"Well," Daisy scans the sky once more before eyeing Bowser, "Kiss that castle goodbye, 'cus it's our last piece of civilization for a bit. To the Light Realm's float castle we go!"

* * *

Back in Dark Land, hundreds of troops surround dozens of doomships, waiting for the final call of war. While Roy, Morton and Ludwig do inventory checks on the doomships in each of their fleets, Lemmy, Iggy and Wendy prepare the multiple tanks and trucks they'll use in their convoy towards Pipe Land. Although they each get one doomship for their armies, the three decide to only use Lemmy's and Wendy's for storage and non-combat surveillance vessels, while using Iggy's doomship as the portable hospital.

Concerned, Wendy glances towards Roy's, Morton's and Ludwig's doomships. She knows the three might have their own disputes, resulting in them seizing more supplies otherwise meant for the other Koopalings. Although Lemmy and Morton were in charge of stocking the ships, the female koopaling double-checked her ship just to make sure she had enough before those vultures took over.

"You got your ships all supplied?" Wendy questioned her two brothers, hoping they wouldn't need to fight their way towards supplies.

Lemmy and Iggy nod.

"Got mine and Iggy's stocked yesterday!" Lemmy double-checked.

"I think we have everything," Iggy noted, "Everyone's geared up. All we need is Kammy."

"No worries, I'm here!" the purple magikoopa flies towards the three, decked out in her battle-ready purple robes and her wand in hand, "Let's hit the road, Your Fearlessnesses! Oh, before I forget, you're leading us, Lemmy."

Lemmy stares at Kammy in shock, then gazes at Iggy and Wendy. The former has a small smirk on his face while the latter starts to glare at the koopaling. Wendy starts tapping her foot.

"So? Are we gonna go, or what, 'leader'?" Wendy questioned, still glaring daggers at Lemmy.

Lemmy sighs and nods his head, "Uhh, Kammy, lead the troops on the ground for me. Me and Wendy will fly the supply ships, while Iggy will control the hospital ship. We'll fly high and command you from the ground."

"Sounds good, Your Rainbowness. I'll get on that task immediately."

After Kammy's confirmation, the three koopalings make their way to each of their doomships. With three different-pitched roars in place, the vehicles in the convoy line drive off. The three doomships lift off the ground while Kammy guides the convoy on an unpaved road towards Pipe Land.

* * *

"So, uhh, where do we go?"

The crew travelled south for about an hour, and now they approach a grove of mid-sized evergreens. As they look back, they can still spot the tip of the floating castle surrounding the near-zero visibility from the trees. The four now wonder whether travelling south proves to be a good, or terrible, idea.

"Not sure," Daisy responds to Peach's question. Besides with each other's kingdoms, both Peach and Daisy have the strongest alliance with Jewelry Land, but they never visited the Dark Realm since the uniting power of the jewels been destroyed once too many. Even the Jewelry Land royalty disregards the region as little more than wastelands, although Prince Pine finds an odd, serene feel to the Forgotten Realm.

"We can't see anything ahead," Bowser sighs, placing the sacks of food on the ground then holding his hand above his eyes as if that'd help him see the horizon any better, "We need to get above the trees. Someone who's a good climber can climb the trees and see."

Peach and Daisy both eye Luigi, and Daisy giving him a little smile. The younger Mario brother looks at the ground in dejection before gazing up at a pine tree. The tree has several thick branches; he'd be able to use them as steps like a staircase.

"Okie dokie. I got this."

Luigi wraps both arms around the tree's trunk before placing his right foot over one of the branches. With full caution, he grabs onto a high branch with his right arm while stabling himself with his left before moving his left foot onto the branch. Looking up, Luigi spots about four more sturdy branches. He figured that'd be high enough to see over the woodland's canopy and its resulting mist.

After climbing each branch, Luigi looks around, being able to see farther, up until he can see across the horizon at the top of the tree. He frowns as after about a kilometer left of forest, a vast sea containing several islands lay in front of them. They'll have to get wet, but if that's the only way to continue on, then so be it.

"Well then," Luigi descends down the tree, attempting, yet failing, to not look at the ground, "Mario always said I was the better climber. But, the heights…"

"Dude, you totally rock at climbing," Daisy complimented before turning serious, "What lies ahead of us?"

"If we continue south, there's a bit more of forest, but then after, there's a giant sea with scattered islands."

Peach and Daisy nod their heads at the new revelations, while Bowser ponders over Luigi's answer. His memory's foggy; he conquered Jewelry Land once before, but those events occurred ages ago. However, he does remember a portion of the sea Luigi mentioned.

"That's the Dark Sea, if I'm correct," Bowser replied before giving a shiver, "Oh boy…"

"What?" Peach turns her focus from Luigi to Bowser, "It sounds like something bad. Oh no… Is it?"

"I can't remember… One of my koopa troopas who took that area over said something about the islands though," Bowser explained before facepalming, "Ugh, c'mon. Remember!"

"As much as I totally LOVE reminiscing past events, I'd rather get moving. It's full-blown nighttime and we're stuck in these woods," Daisy rushed, smacking a mosquito off her, "And we can't stay here forever. It's not like pine trees grow food, at least for us."

Bowser mutters something along the lines of "Damn selfish trees," under his breath before noticing a small clearing. He wants to continue on with the sojourning, but he's also exhausted, and he craves nothing but a little shuteye, "We should sleep, so we can deal with the Dark Sea without being zombies."

Luigi and Peach almost break their necks with the amount of nodding both do, while Daisy wraps her fingers around her chin. Although she wants to continue on, the Sarasalandian princess knows plenty of rest will benefit them in the long run; they can't be tired out.

"True," Daisy admitted before turning to Luigi, "Ugh, crap! I should've had you bring blankets! Dang, now we're gonna freeze!"

"We don't have to. We can make a fire," Bowser suggested as he picks up a large log.

Daisy crinkles her nose at the idea, "We don't have stuff to light fires with either. Gah, I'm so unprepared!"

Bowser scowls at Daisy as if to say 'Seriously?'. Daisy notices Bowser's stare and glares back at him for about half a minute before she does a facepalm.

"Ugh, right, you breathe fire. I totally forgot. Y'know what, we need rest. I'm mentally dead. Let's build a fire and sleep."

Daisy and Peach pick up handfuls of dead pine needles and other kindling, while Bowser picks up fallen branches and thinner logs to surround the thick log he placed. Luigi hunts for rocks to surround the pit; although they want a fire, they don't want any leakages that can turn the entire forest ablaze.

With the rocks in place and the fuels stacked up, Bowser proceeds to exhale a small fireball to the stack, resulting in flames bursting out of the logs.

"I never thought I'd be thankful for Bowser's fire," Luigi states as both he and Daisy lay down on the floor by the campfire. Peach and Daisy nod at the statement while Bowser brushes the compliment off.

"Someone should keep watch. I'll be first watch," Bowser suggested as he plops down on the ground by the fire. Within seconds, he hears the heavy breathing from both Daisy and Luigi.

"Teehee, they're cute together," Peach smiles at the two sleeping before she looks down, embarrassed. She never gets soft and open around Bowser, but, for some reason, it just seemed right. Perhaps she needs sleep also, "I'm out too. Thanks."

"Good night, Peach," Bowser sighs as Peach lies down on the ground not far from him. Not long after, three sounds of heavy breathing and snoring ring through his ears.


	16. Leaps of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser has a dream that feels too real, and the quartet stumbles upon other obstacles in their journey.

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

* * *

**Chapter XVI**

**Leaps of Faith**

* * *

In the foreign forest's clearing, Bowser turns his attention away from the south, and instead focuses on the three sleeping humans. The fire's long-gone now, replaced by a thin stream of smoke rising to the heavens, and the unconscious figures, of course lacking the fat and muscle mass koopas naturally have, feel the heat's absence. Daisy and Luigi now huddle together, while Peach lays alone, shivering every now and then.

An internal conflict builds within him as he sees the trembling princess. Should he build another fire and have that warm her up? Or should he…

Bowser feels his cheeks get hot as he thought of the second option. Surely, Peach wouldn't respect the fact that a koopa, let alone the one who kidnapped her several times, cuddled with her, even if it's to share body heat, and he can respect that. Ever since their incarceration, the Koopa King identifies more with Peach's desires, and he remains puzzled on why the sudden change of heart came.

He's about to make another fire for her when he hears a yawn, followed by Peach sitting up, stretching and rubbing her eyes. She appears delirious, but for every moment the princess is awake, she's getting more alert. She continues shivering, which still concerns Bowser.

"You okay?"

Peach nods her head before getting back up on her feet and brushing off her dress, "A-all good. S-sleep, I'm gonna w-walk around."

Bowser's about to object to the claim and instead offer to build her another fire, but sensing the rebuttal coming, Peach puts her hand out to prevent him from acting.

"I'm fine, d-don't worry. Sleep."

Defeated, Bowser collapses onto the ground, now laying on his stomach. He still hears the heavy breathing from both Daisy and Luigi, but he found the rhythmic noise and the nippy air to be soothing enough to take him to the land of dreams…

* * *

Bowser awakes on the ground by his throne, sceptre in hand and a crown on his head. He observes his red-and-black throne room before he smells the sulfur-polluted air. He's back in Dark Land, but this wasn't the same throne room he's accustomed to. Rather, it reminds him of his fathers...

Bowser looks at a mirror hanging to the throne's left and observes his smaller fangs. He's much younger, thinner and less developed than he should be. He takes off his crown and pulls his longer red hair back; only two stubbles appear where his horns should be. Is he in another time period? Was his previous life just a dream? Is this reality?

Puzzled, he stands up and tries walking around, but instead finds himself hovering in the air. He floats into the next room, where he spots a younger Kamek and Kamella—

Wait, KAMELLA?! Bowser rubs his eyes, shocked at spotting the middle-aged dark-purple-robed female magikoopa. Not paying attention to his reaction, Kamella smiles at Bowser while Kamek hovers above Bowser's head to reattach his crown.

"Prince Bowser!" Kamek called out, "Your father has been found dead, and your oldest brother's still missing."

"That means you are now the new King of Dark Land!" Kamella cheered, "You will continue to reign in the tyranny of your father! We will create an empire of evil throughout the entire planet!"

Bowser gives the two a puzzled glance before he realizes: this is neither a dream nor reality, but rather the moment he found out he will become King! These are memories, but why is he here?

Realization in mind, Bowser does a half-hearted cheer, but both magikoopas sense dread in Bowser's voice, leading them to question him.

"What's wrong, King Bowser?" Kamek questioned in his fatherly-concerned voice which Bowser grew accustomed to, "All will go well. We'll still be evil and feared!"

"I don't know…" Bowser muttered, "I don't want to be like Dad… I want to be myself."

Hearing his words, Kamek nods his head, although disappointed at Bowser's claim. Kamella, however, clenches her wand tighter in her fist; he can see the witch's wand tip glow a dark-red aura as the magikoopa fumes.

"Well, if you say so," Kamella glared at Bowser, "But read my lips. If you don't reign like your father did, you WILL regret it. YOU. WILL. RE. GRET. IT."

After her warning, Kamek and Kamella disappear and the whole scene acts as if it's being fast forwarded. Through the fast-forward scenes, he first sees the inside of the castle growing more elegant, yet dark-themed. Stone walls, obsidian chandeliers and crimson carpets define every room within the castle, while in the parlor, he sees his two younger siblings gathering with a dozen military generals developing plans to reunite Dark Land. He unleashes a slight smile as he observes his wife Clawdia offering a slab of fresh-baked chocolate cake for the assembly; other than dust devils swirling in the room's corners, the scene's ambient nature provides a peaceful feeling to Bowser.

But in a disgusting twist of fate, the scene's red-based hue turns achromatic as the earth beneath him quakes. Notwithstanding the foundation's strength, the room's walls around him start crumbling from the ground's fierce energy, crushing his stunned siblings, the confounded Clawdia and the gawked generals. The erosion occurs until Bowser's now outside, surrounded by the castle's collapsed walls; rather than spotting the woods and the faint glow of the nearest city of Caldera, the King of Dark Land only sees devastation and desolation across the horizon. Every tree in the woods burned while the houses and castle exploded as if a massive bomb detonated somewhere in the region.

"What?" Bowser exclaimed as the dismal scenes pass by him, pestering every corner of his anguished brain.

The somber scenarios drag on, only getting worse by the second. He notices the seven armored Koopalings appear around him, followed by an explosion that made all seven disappear, their presence replaced by seven different-sized crosses. Multiple bombs discharged, destroying the crosses and obliterating the already-formed ruins. Miraculously, Bowser didn't sustain one scratch, but emotionally he was dying. He lost everything he had, from his wealth and his power, to the most important thing: his family. He couldn't bear it anymore. In agony, he drops down to his knees, questioning why all these unfortunate events occurred; why him?

As he begs for the entire situation to be imaginary, Kamella's words echoed through Bowser's mind yet again, her slow words like toxins poisoning his anguished brain.

'But read my lips. If you don't reign like your father did, you WILL regret it.'

* * *

"NO!"

Daisy and Luigi jerk up at Bowser's call. Despite being in the Dark Realm, the altitude of the castle allows the Sun to shine down on them; with the daylight in full-force, Daisy thought the shout was Bowser's call to wake them all up. However, the King keeps shouting.

"NO! I WILL NOT BE LIKE HIM!"

While Daisy and Luigi exchange confused looks, Peach kneels before Bowser and pats his face. She's unsure of why the outburst came, but she also feels the need to provide comfort and offer a source of understanding.

"Wake up," Peach replies in a soothing voice, "Bowser! Wake up!"

Bowser opens his eyes, feeling drained, yet Peach senses an eternal sense of relief flooding in him. Giving him a little smile, Peach stands up and carries one of the sacks of food to Bowser, who browses through it. From his quivering hands, Peach figures Bowser's still pondering over his thoughts, and she wants him to not overthink them.

"There's some food in the bag. The apples are good, us three had those."

Without a word, yet still a look of concern, Bowser takes a bite into the apple. Still seeing the king shaken up, Peach sits by him and pats his back. She doesn't know what's up with him, but even being her common kidnapper, she still feels bad for him.

Damn Stockholm syndrome. Why did she have to have a benevolent personality?

"Ugh," Bowser coughed before showing gratitude, "Thanks."

"What's up?" Peach questioned, concerned over his behavior, "Weird dreams?"

"Nightmares," Bowser corrected, "My magikoopas showed up to me, both telling me to be like my father… Then I said no and… The kingdom… Got destroyed…"

Bowser panics again after realizing the story he told. It's such a parallel to what's going on in real life. He's away from his family, he didn't rule like his father, and Dark Land's threatened to be overtaken. What if the entire dream bears fruit, and his life crashes and burns in front of his eyes? After all, Kamek always says dreams bear an element of truth in them.

What concerns him the most is how prophetic the dream appears. In the dream, the walls crushed his younger siblings and his wife first; in real life, they were the first three to be killed by war. The dream then states that his seven Koopalings could die in a takeover. Realization in mind, his brain goes into overdrive; he doesn't want to lose more than he already did.

"What about the Koopalings? Or Kamek and Kammy?! Or the rest of my kingdom?! Do they know what's going on?! I have to save them!"

This time, Daisy, rather than Peach, calms Bowser down by mentioning the night before they all got flown to Jewelry Land.

"Calm down, man. Your son Larry already knows. I saw him spying at our meeting with Mario. Let's just say that even Larry needs to work on his initial reactions to emotions."

The king, although still worried for their safety in this time of war, settles over the thought and has enough renewed valor to continue with the journey. He hopes she's correct, but he believes Daisy; his family's safe, he just needs to do his part to save the Koopa Kingdom.

"All right," Bowser commanded after throwing the core of the apple in the woods and grabbing the two food bags, "We have a long road ahead of us. Let's get to that Dark Sea!"

* * *

"Food's on—"

"Naw, really? Are you SURE we didn't forget that?"

"Shaddap Big Mouth, this ain't no time for sarcasm! Our kingdom's in danger, and we have dozens of airships we gotta make sure are war-ready!"

"... You and Lemmy were pulling jokes yesterday, moron..."

On the field outside Bowser's Castle, Roy attempts to make and check off a mental checklist of the Dark Land Air Fleet's assets. While he's confident in Lemmy's organizational ability – perhaps one of the few traits he trusts Lemmy's proficiency in – he also wants to double check to make sure their cargo lasts the entire mission. Meanwhile, Morton mocks Roy's inspection, in which the elder koopaling chooses to ignore, preferring to instead focus on the task at hand, while Ludwig remains silent, pondering over Roy's spoken list.

"Uhh... Water, medical supplies, da troops are on. Yeah, we got dem all," Roy checked off.

"False," Ludwig countered while rubbing his chin in thought, "Zere is vun zing ve need to bring vith us, but I cannot seem to recall vhat zat item is."

"Huh..." Roy wondered.

Not long after, Larry bursts out the castle, doing a tough-guy walk; his hair's spiked more than usual, he bears his favorite 'spy shades', and he's dressed in his 'spy tux'. Ludwig rolls his eyes, knowing full well about Larry's need to dress up on spy missions, while Roy and Morton stare at him in astonishment. Larry walks towards the others, pulls his shades down and winks at them as he grins.

"Oh, right. Ve forgot Lawrence! Silly me," Ludwig giggled.

"Wow, lookin' sharp dere, Cheatsy," Roy complimented, "You almost rock shades better dan I do. Almost."

"There's no ice here, buddy; you can't plop down belly-first and expect to travel ten meters, let alone the Mushroom Kingdom," Morton replied, his typical sarcastic tone filling his voice.

Although the youngest koopaling typically ignores his older brother's derisive statements, Larry rolls his eyes at the comment before replying, "I'm not sliding on my stomach, idiot, and I'm not a penguin! I'm going with you guys."

Morton remains silent while Ludwig raises his hand, as if he's asking a question in a classroom.

"I never asked vhy, I don't zink, but vhy ze dress-up missions, Lawrence?"

"I always dress up!" Larry defended, "I have to look nice on spy missions! They do that all the time in spy thrillers!"

Morton facepalms at Larry's reasoning, still replying in his usual sarcastic tone, "You have to look nice. On a spy mission that requires you to hide. Do you honestly think, or is that not a strong trait of yours?"

"Now now, Master Morton, Master Lawrence knows best," Kamek, descending from the sky on his broom and landing before the Koopalings, replies before Larry's able to, "But we need to go, now. Mario's army's been spotted in the woods. Apparently, he doesn't know about the road through there; Kammy told me the Mushroom Kingdom hasn't spotted the convoy yet."

"Thanks, Kamek," Larry thanked, preparing to board onto Ludwig's doomship, "Now, you heard the magikoopa! Get on the ships!"

Without another word, Morton and Roy board their ships while Larry and Kamek tag along with Ludwig. All three command their brigade to start up their respective ships also, resulting in the earth shaking from the vibrations of dozens of whirring doomships.

* * *

"Sheesh, this forest goes on forever," Daisy remarked as she puts her hand over her face to prevent a branch from whacking her face, "We been walking for what… At least a few hours?"

Daisy knows she underestimated her time perception in a drastic measure. The Sun's prepared to slip under the horizon yet again, and she hopes they can reach the islands before nightfall. Nonetheless, considering the rough terrain they traversed through, the Sarasalandian princess expresses pride in the group's progress.

"Somewhere around that," Peach replied as she sidesteps a large anthill, "I hope this ends soon before I lose a leg to carnivorous ants."

"If you ever did, I can just carry you," Bowser replied, grinning. Peach only rolls her eyes at the comment, although her subconscious thoughts she attempts to lock away did tell her that she'd enjoy that idea. Since she found out about Mario's betrayal, Peach also gone through a metamorphosis concerning her feelings. She feels a strange emotion towards Bowser – one she never felt for Mario – and, considering her history with Bowser, Peach remains concerned about the developments.

"Yeah yeah, save it for the bedroom," Daisy scoffed, resulting in a shocked look and an unexpected gasp from Peach.

"DAISY!" the dainty princess shrieked; Daisy's teasing only makes the situation more confusing for her.

"Just sayin'."

Other than Daisy and Luigi teasing the two in hushed whispers, the group remains silent, taking in the scenery while avoiding nature's sudden death traps.

After around an hour of walking, sidestepping droppings, avoiding thorny bushes and ducking from swinging tree branches, the quartet arrive at another clearing in the forest; rather than seeing trees in the distance, only the vast ocean and its islands fill the horizon. Combined with the Sun's absence, the quartet remain skeptical of the mysterious landscape beyond them, but Peach, Daisy and Luigi still show excitement; they've gotten through one region, and although they have more to sojourn through, at least they are making progress.

Bowser, however, lowers his head and puts his hand on his forehead, as if a sudden memory or insight flooded through his mind. Noticing his expression, the others stare at the koopa king, concern welling in their eyes.

"That was the problem!" Bowser announced, "There's no sealine!"

"Which means?" Luigi questioned with anxiety. He knows what the answer is but hopes that all this wasn't reality.

Bowser walks to the edge of the land and peers over. A large, steep cliff at least a hundred meters tall greets him; only the lapping, dark blue waters of the Dark Sea lie below them. Nothing of any sort will make the descent easier; no stairs, no parachutes; nothing.

"We're on a floating island... That means there's a cliff before the Dark Sea!"

Luigi, Peach and Daisy facepalm; none remembered that the island floats. The castle and its vast forests made the landmass feel more like an entire earth-attached continent rather than a floating island.

"So…" Daisy questioned, her palm still resting on her forehead, "What now?"

Luigi and Bowser browse the surroundings, hoping to locate an object capable of assisting the group in its desired task. Meanwhile, Peach eyes the two bulging food bags.

"What happens if we use the sacks as parachutes?"

"It wouldn't be enough surface area on the sacks," Daisy replied to Peach's suggestion before becoming embarrassed at sounding smart against her tomboyish personality, "At least that's what my skydiving instructor told me when he explained parachutes to me!"

"Great. There's no stairs of any type, and there's no parachutes," Luigi sighs as he peers over the cliff with Bowser, "Jumping always works, but… Look how far of a jump that is."

Daisy and Peach make their way to the cliff's edge and look down. Sighting the tremendous height, each look at Luigi with frightened expressions.

"I may be crazy for adventure, but I ain't plain ol' crazy!" Daisy commented as she looks down at the rapids below.

"Yeah. In the Real World, people use barrels over waterfalls, which I found to be crazy—" Luigi mentioned before getting cut off by Bowser.

"That's it!"

Daisy and Peach give Bowser a confused stare while Luigi stares at Bowser as if he grew two extra heads.

"There's no way we're barreling down that!"

Bowser continues staring at the sea below, despite the protests. He then focuses his gaze at Luigi before shaking his head.

"No, we're gonna jump! Ludwig taught me how to land in lava properly whenever Mario pushes me in."

"That's even crazier than the barrels!" Luigi took a huge breath and exhaled, "Fine. How will we survive this?"

"Ludwig told me stuff about we need to run before jumping off the cliff, then afterwards, land feet-first while plugging your ears. He said to go feet first because it's something about water's surface tension at high heights will make the water feel like concrete, and he also said something about bursting eardrums, or whatever geeky stuff he always says, but who cares. It's a way down."

"Uhh…" Peach murmured, "Pretty sure that 'geeky stuff' is vital advice since we're in the middle of nowhere with no medical care…"

With Bowser's instructions and Peach's concern in mind, Daisy peers over the cliff and at the lapping waters. She's done worse; perhaps this jump won't be terrible.

"Just jump and plug your ears then?" Daisy mentioned, "Sounds easy enough. Catch you later!"

Daisy backs up before running full-speed towards the edge, plugging her ears and jumping off the cliff. Peach, Bowser and Luigi stare at the falling Daisy in horror as her screams, followed by yells of "YEEHAW!" and "CHEEHEE!" piercing the air. On the water surface below, the three notice a splash followed by a yellow dot popping up, moving towards the nearby island.

The trio exchange puzzled looks. One of them already went, manifesting the point of no return. Concerned about Daisy's health, Luigi brushes off his nervousness and backs away from the cliff before also running full-speed, plugging his ears and jumping.

"Aghhhhhhh!" Luigi initially screamed for his life before the scared screams transitions into those of excitement. Not long after, Bowser and Peach notice a second splashing.

Peach looks away from the water and retreats from the cliff, frightened at how long the jump is. She knows she must go down and she shouldn't delay the inevitable, but she… Just feels safer on this tucked-in, barren floating island, even if Mario's troops come looking for her.

Bowser focuses his attention from the ocean to Peach, now sitting with her arms crossed over her legs, her forehead on her knees. Concerned for the princess, the Koopa King approaches Peach and sits by her before questioning her.

"You okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Peach snapped, "Everything's ruined. Mario wants me in jail, and now I'm escaping him. Why didn't I see this mess coming?"

"But it's not your fault," Bowser continued, "Everything started after you got kidnapped by us."

"What about my parents though? Why didn't I help them out?" she questioned, her tone towards Bowser softening. She knows he means no harm – at least for the time being – and despite her distress, she attempts to be more assertive with him.

"Because—" Bowser attempts to reason with her before Peach cuts him off, causing him to steam up.

"Ugh, it's all just a disaster—"

"Peach!" Bowser raised his voice at her as if she were one of his koopalings. Realizing his tone, Bowser sighs before calming down, "Sorry, it's just… This dream I had earlier made me realize. This journey's important, and we need to do it. We have family out there. You have your parents; I have my kids. They all will be at risk if we just sit here and mope. If you think you made a mistake—and honestly you didn't—then you can just make up for it by saving them. But sitting here crying about it is the biggest mistake you can make right now."

Bowser notices Peach turn her head towards him; with her eyes on him, he spots tears flowing down her face. Not thinking consciously, Bowser takes a claw and gently brushes them off her face. He pulls his finger away as Peach appears dazed.

"Sorry, I always did that with my late wife," Bowser sighed as Peach gives him a sad look. Snapping out of the mushy moment, Bowser stands up and offers his hand to Peach, "Let's show that cliff what we got."

Now smiling despite her tear-filled eyes, Peach grabs his hand and Bowser hoists her up. She's still nervous over the whole cliff-jumping procedure, but for every second she ponders over her parents' well-being, courage from within floods her.

"We'll jump together," Bowser instructed, still grabbing onto her hand, "Let's go!"

Both Bowser and Peach run towards the cliff and jump towards the ocean below. As they fall, Bowser lets go of Peach's hand, and in return, both plug their ears, waiting for the 'eardrum-shattering' event to approach them. Just as with Daisy and Luigi, Peach lets out panicked gasps before letting out shouts of exuberance. Having never gone skydiving, she never felt any sensation like the one she's feeling now. She has no parachute, nor safety of any kind, yet she feels… Safe. She feels secure; at peace. She couldn't figure out why, and looking at Bowser, who was gazing back at her, his facial expression seems to reveal the same manner of truth. Could she be feeling safe because she's with Bowser? Even as her archenemy, Bowser's able to capture her at any given moment, at any time of day. She always saw that as a behavior warranting a red flag, but perhaps it's a trait she needs at this period in her life. She needs someone who could save her from these frightening situations at any time and anywhere. She hates those feelings because they're irrational, but she still feels them.

Throughout their time falling, both were in too much of a daze to realize how close to the water they were. The only thing able to stop Peach's staring at Bowser is when the sudden entrance into the water almost causes her plush dress to come off her body through her head.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: Sorry! I totally forgot to post this chapter here when I updated on FFN last week! Issue has been fixed now; expect Chapter 17 very soon (within days)!
> 
> And there it is... After 18 LONG years (seriously, this fanfic should be in a nursing home, eating applesauce and sucking on pretzels), this redux attempt that began in 2014, 17,000 views (on FFN since 2008), 16 loooong chapters, and 60,000 words (C'mon, I had to make sure the pacing was realistic enough!), could it finally be the start of Powser? Well, I guess we'll see for next time!
> 
> Speaking of, chapters from here on out (until at least 27-28) will be longer than previous chapters (I'm expecting consistent 4-5k+ word chapters), but despite that, I don't expect 6 updates a year like I was doing for much of 2017, or a full-blown hiatus like 2015-16. I have many more updates planned throughout 2019, and I hope to finish Shard 4 by the end of 2019. I doubt I'll finish the story before the end of 2019, but sometime in 2020 is becoming an even more realistic goal.
> 
> Thank you everyone for your reviews! Geez, I'm terrible at replying to you guys, but know that I appreciate your praises, criticisms and suggestions. Keep them coming!
> 
> Until next update!


	17. Shelled Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After progressing from the float castle to some mysterious islands, Peach once again has strange dreams. Confused, she attempts to find Bowser and commune with him about them.

 

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX**

* * *

**Chapter XVII**

**Shelled Secrets**

* * *

Resurfacing, Peach coughs before she readjusts the waist portion of her dress from her head to its intended location. Not only did she have to get wet after jumping off a sprawling fifty-meter cliff into the ocean, but the resulting contact with the water almost made her lose her dress. She'd be a tad embarrassed if only Daisy witnessed losing her dress – after all, the rambunctious Sarasalandian princess always lives outside the assumed box of attires – but in both Luigi's and Bowser's sight? No way on the far side of the moon will she let such actions occur. They're both men!

She continues panting, both in exhaustion and in fright, as she fixes her dress and paddles towards the island Daisy and Luigi occupy, both characters smirking at her as she faces them.

"Geez, what a landing that was. You should do gymnastics," Bowser grins at Peach as he also swims towards the island. She feels her cheeks warm up before she splashes water at Bowser's face.

"Oh, shut it!"

Daisy and Luigi laugh as Peach and Bowser approach the shore, both exhausted from the swim. As Peach collapses on the sandy shore in exhaustion, Bowser instead elects to sit down and study the surroundings. A reputable grove of trees, although miniscule compared to the floating island's, lie before them. Numerous other islands in the distance, each surrounded by the ocean's dark-blue, near-purple waters, also tease the weary wayfarers. Bowser's more familiar with this region than the float castle; when he and his kids took over Jewelry Land, he held this territory while the enslaved Jewelry Land citizens built his castle, and he gave these islands up to one of his koopa troopa generals afterwards. He also knows the relentless, anti-navigation qualities of the mangroves, and from experience, going around the circumference of the island's the best route, even with the sand and the extra distance.

"Well, good news is we survived the jump," Bowser turns away from the incoming path and focuses his attention on the three humans, "But we have a lot of islands to cross. A lot of walking and swimming to do."

Peach grumbles as she lays in the sand while Daisy and Luigi usher reluctant comments, none of them excited to do more swimming. Disgruntled at their protests, Bowser reprimands the three on their lack of zeal. After all, THREE kingdoms risk destruction if the four don't step up as heroes at this moment. At no time in history did the Mushroom Kingdom and the Mushroom World have more to lose; even Smithy's invasion five years prior proves miniscule compared to these happenings.

"It's tough, but we all have stuff to lose if we don't continue on!"

Although Bowser's urging gives little comfort, his walking away prompted the three humans to get up and follow him. By themselves, the trio lack knowledge of this strange land – or rather, string of islands – like Bowser does, and being without him would only make the entire situation worse. They trust him; during any other event, they'd figure Bowser would lead them astray and into a trap, but the king has as much, if not more, to lose than the humans.

Daisy sighs as the three catch up to Bowser, "So, where we going now? My feet are killing me!"

"We're gonna go to my castle that's built here, after these islands," Bowser replied, although he admits the koopa doesn't know where to sojourn after that point, "Maybe there's a warp pipe or a warp whistle I forgot about. The caves also lead to the Light Realm, so that can always be a backup. And stop complaining! I can't think!"

"Excuse me, Mister Turtle Dude! I never complain!" Daisy fumed as she stops walking and puts both hands on her hips, "I have the right to this one time! My kingdom, your kingdom, Peach's kingdom and Luigi's brother are all at risk here!"

"I know! But we'll do something to save them all! Complaining will do nothing!" Bowser exclaimed before sighing in defeat and kicking up some sand. He continues walking, "Whatever, just don't waste your energy. We'll need it for this trip."

"I just hope you're right," Peach replies with a glimpse of hope as the quartet continues walking on the sandy beach, "The one time I want the Koopa Troop involved in something, they better be!"

* * *

"Sheesh, I haven't been on this side of Dark Land in a while," Lemmy commented on the doomship's PA system as he looks down at Kammy and the convoy below him. He gives the tanks and warthog vehicles a solemn expression. He's concerned for them, but he must replace that worry with positivity; everyone depends on his optimism, even if such comfort's little more than a visage.

"Neither have I. Not by foot, anyway," Iggy responded back from his ship, "Just try to stay high and keep behind Kammy."

"Roger. We can't alert any potential forces."

"Yes, we totally can't let them see us take over Pipe Land!" Wendy reminded, "That's what Kammy said!"

Lemmy and Iggy both nod, although Wendy cannot see such actions from her doomship. Lemmy continues looking outside, this time keeping an eye out for any approaching Mushroom Kingdom army fleets. No planes or helicopters mark the sky, but the koopaling spots another developing convoy to the northeast. The convoy, comprising several armored mushroomers, warplanes and combat tanks, march southwest towards Dark Land, their zeal as bright as the current near-setting Sun. In shock and in fear, Lemmy pages his two siblings again.

"An army to the northeast! They're moving southwest towards the Castle! Look out!"

"Oh no!" Wendy cried out after also spotting them, "I'll contact Kammy. This is totally serious!"

Meanwhile, Iggy studies the armies after his brother alerted him about it. Not only can the koopaling spot the convoy Lemmy spoke of, but he also notices tents around the area.

"Guys, my quintessence tells me they're camping there!" Iggy alerted, "They have tents set up."

Lemmy chuckles at Iggy's declaration of his ultimate state of being before replying, "Well, nobody's complaining if they do. That's less risk if they're asleep."

After the small koopaling's statement, they notice Kammy – now out of the woods and in the lavender fields – swerve to the southeast, seeming to have received Wendy's alert. They continue traveling southeast for another kilometer until the purple-robed magikoopa then leads the convoy straight east.

The three koopalings retain bored expressions as they follow Kammy, for once craving some sort of action; perhaps even danger. Despite their newfound courage, Kammy's sudden, unexpected voice on the PA system frightens the trio.

"How's the view from up there?"

Lemmy peers around the landscape before replying, "The one Wendy told you about was the last sign of danger we saw. Nothing's to our straight east or to the southeast."

"Thank you, Your Watchfulness. We shall head more towards the southeast," the magikoopa thanked before signing out. Kammy swerves to the southeast, and once again, the bored expressions on the three koopalings' faces come back.

In his boredom, Lemmy marvels at the lavender fields. He never knew such a thing of beauty survives in a dark, barren wasteland like Dark Land, but perhaps even the worst circumstances can bring out the best in nature. Lemmy feels a similar feeling; growing up under Kammy's wing in Canada due to fleeing Dark Land's civil war as refugees, he hated Dark Land the instant Bowser made them move in. Rather than the chilly, snow-covered boreal forests and the clean, crisp air, Lemmy's stuck with a charred landscape only hosting forests choked eons ago by the Land's sulfuric atmosphere. However, through getting to know how family and exploring what the Land offers, Lemmy would never pick going back to Canada over living here. Everything near and dear to him, namely his family, exists only in Dark Land, and the koopaling's glad he could return there after the civil war ended.

As the convoy travels down the lavender field more, the small koopaling catches the soft flowery scent reminiscent of his bedsheets at home. He misses home; his personal acrobatic gym, his ball collection and most important to him – his family – all lay vulnerable in Mario's destructive path. Realizing what's at stake, the normally-lighthearted koopaling clenches his claws over the doomship's wheel; he will never allow that plumber, or any other force, take away everything dear to him, even if Lemmy must break out of his friendly personality and his comfort zone.

"Mario..." Lemmy hissed, not caring whether his statement broadcasts to Wendy or Iggy, "We're coming for you... And we WILL defeat you this time..."

* * *

Nighttime falls upon the islands in Jewelry's Dark Realm. Of course, with the dark realm being cursed with a mysterious mist of darkness high above them, the concept of 'nighttime' remains relative. As part of the tradition they've done every night since leaving the floating castle, Peach, Daisy and Luigi helped build a log-filled fire pit while Bowser set the pit ablaze. The group didn't speak much afterward – they all were too fatigued to have any sort of distractions – and all four passed out within minutes.

-x-

Peach awakes in Dark Land's scorched forests again. Confused, she studies the landscape around her; isn't she supposed to be in a sandy, warm, humid environment? Why is she in this charred, near-apocalyptic part of Dark Land? As she gazes down at the ground to question why she doesn't feel the sand on her feet, Peach realizes she's floating.

"Great, this again."

She attempts to close her eyes, then open them again. Still in Dark Land. In desperation, she rubs her eyes with her hands then once again opens her eyes. Nothing.

"Why does this keep happening?!"

A gradual urge to move forward clouds Peach's mind. She tries her best to ignore the urgings, as such feelings may lead to a trap, especially in this fictitious Dark Land, but the urgings grew too strong to ignore. Sighing, she floats forward, avoiding the dead trees' branches while hovering over large boulders.

"This is too weird."

After dodging obstacles for around a minute, the scenery changes from a charred landscape to one of an empty field with three koopa kids kicking a soccer ball to each other, giggling.

The three kids have a striking familiarity as if she's seen or even knew them before. One kid has a pink face, a rose-colored shell and medium-length hair. From his small stature compared to the other two, Peach concludes that he may be the youngest of the pack, or else a Lemmy-like growth deficiency affects him.

She moves on to the next koopa; this time a girl, similar in stature to the previous koopa, with a sky-blue face, a dark-blue shell and long, dark hair waving in the breeze as she dashes after the soccer ball.

Giving a warm smiling at her enthusiasm, Peach then turns towards the third kid before her eyes widen at his grass-green face, dark green shell and reddish hair. There's no way it could be him, as this is only a dream, right?

Still in denial, Peach watches the three laughing kids in shock. The playing continues until the girl kicks the ball too hard, hitting the shell of a fourth kid she didn't notice before.

The kid turns towards the girl, expressing a glare on his violet face. Judging from his large stature and his forming attitude towards the other three, he may be the oldest of the four. He snatches the ball and confronts the three kids, glaring into each of their eyes. The two younger koopas look at the older koopa in horror while the red-haired koopa glares back.

"Look, dweebs," the eldest koopa insulted, popping the soccer ball with one of his claws and pocketing the flat piece of rubber in his violet shell, "Hit me with your stupid, pathetic balls again, and this time YOU will be deflated!"

Both the girl and the pink-faced koopa appear as if they will break down at any second; they each cower from the eldest's fiery glare while uttering slight crying noises. However, the green-faced, red-haired koopa steps up to the older kid.

"Why you gotta be a jerk, Traw? Leave us alone!" the red-haired koopa commanded. Despite his outburst, Peach senses a slight fear in his otherwise-assertive voice.

"Aww, look at the little dork, standing up for his pipsqueak friends!" Traw teased, which infuriates the younger koopa more.

"They're our brother and sister! Just leave us alone!"

"Wrong! They're MY brother and sister," Traw dissed once again, "You're just an outcast! Look at our black hair! Now look at your RED hair! It's so hideous! It doesn't even match your green shell or face! Go back into exile, unfit outcast!"

"I am NOT an outcast!" the koopa fired back, this time anger replaces the fright in his voice.

"Yes you are!" Traw argued back, "I'M the Crown Prince, and I'll rule Dark Land when Dad dies or retires! Once I'm officially the ruler, I'll banish you from this kingdom, and I'll continue his great work! You don't belong here or anywhere near here, 'cause you're a weakling, Bowser!"

-x-

Peach wakes up, astonished by her dream. Were those really Bowser's siblings? Or did she make them up? She remembers seeing his two younger siblings when Bowser showed her the family photos, albeit their much older versions, but she's never seen this Traw before. Maybe she needs to ask him if this Traw even exists.

With thoughts raging too loud for Peach to fall back asleep, she instead browses her surroundings. She spots Daisy sleeping on her back and Luigi lying on his stomach just next to the now-smoldering fire pit, yet no sign of Bowser; only a track of footprints leads to the mangrove in the middle of the island.

Maybe he went on a walk somewhere in there.

Slipping on her shoes, Peach journeys into the mangrove. She doesn't know much about Water Land's saltwater marshes, let alone those of Jewelry Land, and the lack of knowledge begins to intimidate her. She often hears of kremling attacks especially throughout DK Isle and the surrounding Alligator Archipelago, but she never seems to remember if they were freshwater or saltwater-favoring beings, or even which lands they inhabit.

Holding her breath, the princess steps onto one of the many roots of the trees, trying not to lose balance and fall onto the mushy ground. With one hand planted onto a tree trunk, she moves her legs to the succeeding root before grasping her other hand onto an overhead branch. She holds on, but not before uttering out a little gasp and praying that Bowser didn't overhear her. Recovering from her panic attack while trying to calm herself, Peach hunches down before looking ahead and gasping again. Just ahead, the mangrove ends at an inland lake, where she spots Bowser bathing. To her infinite relief, he still bears his shell.

Like a train wreck, Peach wants to turn around and go back to the group, but her eyes fail to peer away from the koopa. She studies his every move and even his every curve. She never noticed how... Obvious and well-defined his muscles were, and how his bulkiness moves in sync as he scrubs his shell. She now understands why Larry does this for a living; she's still creeped out by the youngest koopaling's questionable behaviors, but she finds discovering people's private lives – whether their behaviors or their conversations – to be exhilarating.

As each minute increases, so does Peach's realization of the pathetic act she's committing. She doesn't want to be seen as a total creep. She attempts to go back into the mangrove, but her sudden movement rustles a tree's branch, resulting in Bowser perking up. Embarrassed, she ducks behind a bush, hoping he concludes that only an animal or the wind caused the disturbance.

"I always knew you liked what you saw," Bowser pointed out, seeming to no one in particular, "It's a good thing this is a free show in the middle of the Dark Realm or else I'd have to overcharge you, Peachy. You've been there for at least ten minutes."

Realizing she's caught, Peach froze in terror. How did he know she was there the entire time, and how long did he know for?

"You know, ever since we got here, I've noticed that blue jewel gives off a little shine. Who needs a flashlight when you have that smacked on your dress?" Bowser smirked, "That jewel makes it hard for you to spy on others. Plus, remember that I live with Larry; I'm used to being spied on that I can tell now."

Peach remains silent and gazes at the jewel embroiled on her chest. A glimmer does illuminate from the sapphire, although faint and miniscule. Ever since her mother gave the jewel to her more than a decade ago, her mother always counseled Peach to "only activate the jewel in dire emergencies," yet the princess hasn't the faintest idea of how the jewel functions.

"I guess the best cure to that would be to get in the lake and join me. Water usually conceals light," Bowser replied, smirking.

Peach knows Bowser intends the comment to be a joke, but even with such realizations, the comment fills her with uneasiness. To her, her dress represents a shield: it protects her, it defines her, and she doesn't want to lose either trait, especially in a land she's unfamiliar with, and especially before the person who should be her fiercest archenemy.

"Eww! In your dreams, Bowser!" Peach cried.

"Ahh, we're on a first-name basis now, Peach? I guess that's good enough progress."

"That's the most progress you'll make!" Peach threw out.

"Yeahuh, we'll see," Bowser replied, "But my crude jokes aside, aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"And aren't you supposed to be watching over us?" Peach fired back.

"I was, then I passed it to Daisy. Is she asleep?"

"Dead as a stone."

The two remain silent, basking in the silence and near-darkness present around them. Peach stares at the sky, still unnerved at the situation, while Bowser continues bathing, this time displaying a grin.

"You're up anyway. Come join me."

Peach must admit, she does want to jump into the lake and wash the grit she picked up over the past few days, but she doesn't want her dress to get soaked again due to this being her only change. Even so, she could take off her dress and get in, but bathing with Bowser in the nude? No way, that'd be a scandal in the Mushroom Kingdom! Not that she rules it right now, though…

"No thanks, I'm fine," Peach rejected, this time in a kinder voice rather than the cynical comments she uttered earlier. Instead, she escapes the lake's fringes, walks towards Bowser and seats herself on the shore of the lake, electing the cool grass to be enough of a refuge, "But speaking of dreams, I need to ask you some stuff."

Bowser shifts in the water; even in the darkness, she makes out a confused expression on his face, resulting in her giving a teasing smile.

"About what? Am I the sudden dream interpreter?"

Peach nods, "You told me about your younger siblings, but what about your older siblings?"

Peach still senses a recoiling action from Bowser. Due to the content of the silly dream, Peach expects the reaction, although at the same time surprised that she uncovered a shard of Bowser's past.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes," Peach's curiosity won over her sympathetic, compassionate nature.

"Fine," Bowser sighed before explaining, "I only had an older brother."

Peach's eyes widen. Perhaps this does connect to her dream, but if it does, how did Peach know who he was? Anxious to find out her awaited answer, the princess questions, "Traw?"

Bowser scowls at Peach before mentioning, "If you know about him, why ask?"

"Sorry, I, uhh," on second thought, Peach didn't want to sound like a sage, or a fool, by saying she dreamt of him, "I think I heard his name somewhere. I don't know him."

"I'm sure you did," Bowser replied before continuing, "Anyway. I wasn't the original crown prince; I'm the second oldest, so it didn't fall on me. Crown Prince belonged to Traw. He was the favorite. 'Dad' only cared for him; he thought only Traw could continue his empire, and both me and my younger siblings were too soft.

"Morton was never there. He doesn't ever deserve to be called my father. He was too busy ruling the kingdom with an iron fist. He tortured prisoners and those who spoke against him. He plundered the kingdom's resources and only enriched himself and his group of elites with them. He terrorized other kingdoms. With all that, he never had time for us, except for showing Traw how to be evil and corrupt like him. Instead, only our mother took care of us from raising us to teaching us to just being around us.

"Your dad's sort of a crazy spacehead, so you can understand; growing up without attention from one of your parents is terrible. Worse turned to worst when Mom died only a few years after my younger twin siblings hatched. She died to "natural causes" although I have no doubt Morton was somehow involved in that. No healthy koooa dies of natural causes when they're younger than my current age. Now we had no attention, no one to care for us, other than select servants, and life turned into a hellhole under Morton and Traw. Me and my younger siblings felt trapped in a prison, with no means of escape. We couldn't even do activities that other kids could, because we were forced into Morton's and Traw's demands.

"That's when Kamek stepped in, shortly after he was promoted to the second-in-charge of the Magikoopas. At our lowest point, he smuggled us out of the castle and raised us on Yoshi's Island. He got away with it because he always pretended we went missing. Only every now and then Kamek would "find" us and bring us back, just so no one, especially the other magikoopas, wouldn't sense anything fishy."

Peach now understands why Bowser always acts tough now; maybe he wasn't allowed to show emotions in front of his father or his older brother, or maybe that's the only emotion he's truly familiar with. She never thought she'd ever feel sympathy for her capturer, but after his rejection of becoming an evil tyrant like his father, the Stockholm Syndrome's legitimate.

"I never knew you grew up like that!"

Bowser nods, "Yoshi's Island is a sanctuary. Ever wonder why Kamek took you and the Mario Brothers there as babies? It was his way of preventing Morton from having you guys and killing you all, but Kamek added his own evil twist to it just to be feared. You know Kamek's obsession with evil, but the truth is, he only likes talking about it as an ego-builder to be feared. He doesn't like actually committing it, which was why Mario and Luigi weren't killed by him. However, being a koopa in Yoshi's Island wasn't all fun and games, either, and let's say that's why I'm not a big fan of yoshis."

Intrigued, Peach shifts her position; she now lies on her back, her gaze facing Bowser as he exits the pond and lays down on the grass about a foot away from Peach, who doesn't object to his proximity. Instead, she turns her body around and continues to face the koopa king.

"How did you become king?"

"Long story short," Bowser replied, laying on his back and gazing at the near-black sky rather than at Peach, "Morton died, Traw disappeared and I was made king. I didn't want to continue down his path, so I had a lot of support in the urban areas who wanted to be part of the global community, but back then, most of Dark Land had a rural population. We lived in peace for maybe two years with me as king; my two younger siblings each married and had kids, while I remained too focused on ruling a broken kingdom to worry about my personal life. But after those two years, Traw somehow returned, blamed me and my younger siblings for his disappearance, riled up the rural supporters, and civil war broke out."

"And what happened to Traw?"

"Traw's assumed to be dead, killed in an airstrike in 1985 shortly before those plumbers of yours came back. According to spies and defectors who were loyal to Traw, he has a son out there... Marcus. Nothing's known of him either or if he's still alive; I never met him, but knowing his father, I don't want to either. I don't want to even meet my own nephew; isn't it pathetic?"

Peach nods at Bowser's explanation, although one key detail still boggles her.

"You want to reform, right? Then why do you still kidnap me?"

"To unite the Land," Bowser dismissed the question.

Peach raises an eyebrow at his tone shift, from informative to secretive, "It seems united now. In fact, even the rural areas seem tired of the takeovers. Why continue? I know that's not the true reason why. What is it?"

Bowser groans, "Do I have to?"

"Yes. Answer it," once again, her curiosity overtakes her compassion.

"Fine. I just wanted the best for me and the Koopalings," Bowser sighed, "They aren't my kids. Not biologically. I told them this, but they still treat me like I'm their dad, and I treat them like my own. Instead, I took in my younger siblings' kids: Ludwig, Lemmy and Roy; I know I made mistakes by sending them to the Real World, and all three have growing pains in some way from their experiences there, but I wanted them to avoid seeing the evil from our family that I myself witnessed.

"I then took in their four younger biological cousins; either their parents died as was the case of Larry and Iggy, or they were put in bad situations like the one I grew up in, as Wendy and Morton dealt with. I didn't want any of the seven to grow up the way I did. I wanted to be a good guardian of them and provide them stability. But there were key traits I lacked: benevolence; compassion; virtue. Clawdia was every one of those, and her death left a huge hole in the family. I couldn't patch it, and I couldn't find anyone to. Then you came into the picture. At first, I kidnapped you just to have approval of the rural population and to unite Dark Land, but ever since Clawdia's death, it was because you were the only person to patch that hole."

"W-" Peach gasped, not expecting Bowser to even have a soft side, let alone showing it to her, "I-I never knew that, Bowser..."

"It's not something I freely share."

With Bowser's tale over and Peach having nothing else to focus on, the princess lies down on the lake's shore and shifts position until she finds one comfortable enough. Although Bowser's memoir left more questions than answers for the princess, she didn't want to bother him with any of her inquiring. Her utterances will be either complete nonsense, or ones deeply personal, and she doesn't want to go either route at this current time.

Hearing his story, Peach does have a newfound appreciation for Bowser. He didn't kidnap her due to evil deeds, but rather for misguided good intent. While an archenemy, Peach never thought Bowser was inherently evil. Bowser may want anything from a stronger family to taking over lands, but even he's against evil forces taking over the world and raining chaos upon it. He helped Mario fight against Smithy's vile plans, not only for him to have glory, but for actual good. An evil person wouldn't ever do that.

With her initial question satisfied, drowsiness once falls upon Peach, and before she can stand up and rush back to Daisy and Luigi, everything went dark.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: Well, here's a late Merry Christmas present for you all! As always thank you for the support, and I hope you enjoyed this latest installment.
> 
> This was one of my favorite chapters writing, in all honesty, because I had to dig deeper into Bowser. I had to make the foundation to BowserxPeach make sense. While Bowser's love for Peach would've fit in almost any circumstance, I cannot see Peach returning the love without a plot about Bowser that formed as the missing puzzle piece. As mentioned in this chapter, while Bowser's typically an enemy, in the larger scope of the Mario universe, Bowser's more of an anti-hero, much like Wario, than an actual evil character (for example, Bowser's help against Smithy, Dimentio, etc. although some games, such as Paper Mario for the 64, this could be an exception). In fact, this realization, and specifically the content in this chapter was the prime reason I first started this story and its plot.
> 
> Anyway... I usually don't like giving spoilers, but here's A LITTLE SPOILER: if you like BxP and you liked this chapter, I'm sure you'll like the next several chapters and Shard 3 as a whole. From this chapter, it's starting to bloom!


	18. TotoMessUp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fantastic Four reach Bowser's Castle (in Jewelry Land), but stumble upon an unfortunate surprise...

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XVIII**

**TotoMessUp**

* * *

"Mmph," Peach groaned, eyes still closed as she lays on the inland lake's sandy shore. She must've slept on a rock; every time she crinkles her face or moved her eyes around, she feels a stinging sensation overcome her. Great, can this situation get any worse? Despite the discomforts, the surface somehow gives off an emotionally soothing sensation.

She then opens her eyes and gasps at the green-and-white sight. Her face didn't rest on a loose boulder on the shoreline as she expected, but rather resting on one of the ivory spikes on Bowser's shell. Witnessing the unexpected reality while being too surprised to get up, the princess screams, pulls her head back and rolls away from Bowser.

Yes, things can get worse, and it did. She slept on Bowser; she'll never hear the end of it from him.

"Yaaah!" Bowser roared, sitting up as he felt the weight lift off his shell and heard Peach's shriek. With confusion replacing shock, he turns his head towards Peach, "You were sleeping on me?! I thought Mario's idiots were grabbing me!"

"Why were you by me?!" Peach questioned, still shocked by the encounter.

"You looked… Cold. Vulnerable…" the Koopa King answered, a wave of embarrassment welling up in him, "So, I went by you. I went away after a while but you, uhh, rolled to me in your sleep. I won't say this much but... Sorry for that."

Peach nodded, a sense of understanding and gratitude replacing her tone of annoyance and fright. All her life, she thought the royalty of Dark Land were nothing but abusers, but the past few days she's seen a side of Bowser she never witnessed. He's a family man, he seems to truly care about his children and the wellbeing of his kingdom. Both she and he may just be blinded by stereotypes the opposing kingdoms put on each other, and maybe… They both share commonalities. Or maybe she's just full-blown insane from all this dark mist.

"Well, I'm not bothered; nothing bad happened," Peach replied after her thoughts. She mentally faceplams after her statement; she would've thrown a fit in any other circumstance! Nonetheless, she couldn't deny the truth, "In fact, it wasn't all too bad. I stayed warm, so I can't complain."

Bowser smirks at Peach before perking up in curiosity at the sound of rustling bushes. No wind's blowing—it almost never blows in the Dark Realm—and other than this inland lake's low-enough salinity level to be considered fresh, the island offers no source of nutrients for any animal large enough to disturb such hardy vegetation, unless his instincts betray him yet again.

Peach focuses on the bushes as they continue rattling, but with concern and fright. Although Bowser's there and she has absolute faith he'll destroy any threat, Mario's goons looking for them make her paranoid about any foreign movements. Her initial punishment of isolation while her kingdom burns may be a godsend compared to what the goons would do to her next.

Not long after, both Peach and Bowser hear giggling from the source, followed by Daisy and Luigi walking out.

"Haha! Did I get you?!" Daisy exclaimed, adding a few bouts of giggling as Peach and Bowser transition from frightened looks to outright glares, "I'd take that as a yes!"

"Geez, do we have any privacy?!" Bowser questioned, resulting in Daisy and Luigi raising an eyebrow.

"Privacy, eh?" Daisy cooed, adding a wink for emphasis, "I thought you weren't dating!"

"We aren't!" Peach hurriedly declined, "I'm married!"

"Yeah, married to a guy that—" Daisy started off before she notices Luigi taking off his hat and scratching his hair. Remembering the sensitivities Luigi still has for his brother, Daisy reworded her sentence, "That arrested you and seized your kingdom! That's not a real marriage! Plus, it's probably void by now!"

"But still, talk about awkward! We were enemies a week ago!"

"And Mario was your best friend a week ago too!" Daisy pointed out, "Time can change everything!"

"It can," Luigi replied as he puts on his hat, "But we don't have much of it. We need to get off this island."

"Luigi's right. We'll deal with this later," Daisy acknowledged, once again winking at Peach, "But we need to get to Jewelry Land's castle before Mario does!"

* * *

The Dark Land Air Fleet soars over the Dark Land Woods; only the trees below greet the multiple doomships. In the doomship leading them all, Ludwig pilots while Larry continues looking back at Castle Koopa; he knows the castle won't survive mushroom occupation, at least not in its current state, and to be fair, it pains him to think about the only abode he knows getting ripped apart by invading fungi.

Larry sighs as he turns, now facing the front windows to start his task on looking out for any mushroomer troops. Sensing his brother's anxiety, Ludwig feels remorse for him; Larry's smart and sneaky compared to the rest of his siblings, but out of the seven, he has the least experience in dealing with destructive situations or other attributes only gained through wisdom. Wanting to keep Larry's mind off the inevitable destruction of their home, Ludwig attempts to strike up some conversation.

"So, Lawrence, I've never interrogated you on zis matter, and I do apologize for my slothfulness," Ludwig started. Hearing the gentle voice of his oldest sibling, Larry turns away from the window and stares at Ludwig, "But Fazzer never taught you how to operate a doomship? Is zat right?"

"Nope!" Larry exclaimed, "I told King Dad I was old enough, but he kept pushing it off with meetings or some other stupid excuses."

"Vell, Fazzer's lucky ve don't need you to pilot an airship right now, because zat'd be total disaster if ve needed you, but vunce zis situation is suppressed, ve need to get you trained on zat. Ask me if you need to also, I enjoy vhen people desire to operate my inventions."

"Yeah! I love your inventions when they don't blow up!" Larry giggled.

Ludwig tends to get mad and possessive whenever most of his siblings make fun of his inventions, but due to common physical and behavioral traits, he's always had a soft spot for Larry and his innocence, despite Larry's participation in 'Unholy Trinity' schemes designed by Roy and Morton. Instead, Ludwig gives a little smirk before rebutting.

"I'd say othervise! Zat veed-vhacker took care of zose veeds in your garden, zey just didn't vhack zem!"

"I'll take that back. That was an awesome way to weed! Without the wires that constantly break too!"

"Amen, who needs vires vhen you can just blow up ze entire zing!" Ludwig giggled.

Larry's about to respond with enthusiasm when they once again fly over the lavender field. As he was previously in the cargo room of his father's ship, the smell wasn't detectable then, but in the cockpit, especially with Ludwig blasting the air conditioning, the smell permeates throughout the cabin. Both koopalings pucker their noses as the scent intensifies.

"I thought Wendy wore enough perfume, but that lavender is worse!" Larry acknowledged. Although a gardener by nature, the youngest koopaling's still intolerant to strong flowery scents, despite how appealing they may be to the eye.

"Enjoy ze smell; lavender's scientifically proven to help vith easing stress, zough zis reminds me of laundry day… Back at ze Kastle…," Ludwig sighed. Sure, the eldest prepared for the worst as Kamek delivered the news the past morning, but the grave situation never hit him before until now – and it struck hard. Being the heir to the kingdom, Ludwig's grown attached to the kingdom, and just the thought of it being destroyed sends shivers down his spine. Alas, he has to stay strong; his younger sibling's with him, and an entire air fleet depends on his sound judgment.

Both koopalings fall silent; Larry's absorbed in thoughts ranging from questioning the safety of the castle to forming a plan on how to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom from the inside, while Ludwig continues steering the doomship as he ponders potential problems on dealing with the Mushroom Kingdom naval forces. The duo snap back into reality as Kamek bursts into the cockpit, holding a map of Plit in one hand.

"Ludwig!" the senior magikoopa crowed, waving the map over his head in panic, "We have to take a detour!"

"A detour, you say? How come? Let me get Roy and Morton on ze line," Ludwig gasped before turning on the talk function of the doomship's radio, "Roy? Morton?"

Static blasts through the doomship's speakers before Roy emits a tangible reply, "Kooky? And da issue is?"

"We can't tell whether you're a cow or a pig anymore," Morton replies in his typical stark tone before adding, "Ugh, and my talk feature's on! Well at least Roy knows now."

"Oh shut dat large mouth of yours, Big Mouth!"

"Make me!"

"I don-"

"GUYS!" Ludwig shouts, silencing the two bickering koopalings, "Quiet! Zis is vhy I'm ze leader! Anyvay, Kamek has news to present to us, and it pertains to zis entire operation, so quiet and listen!"

"Fine then! I'll stay quiet, Kooky! I won't talk ever again!"

"Me too!"

As the radio quiets down, Larry and Ludwig turn towards Kamek. Making sure his words clarify the situation well enough, the elder magikoopa still studies his map before speaking out to the group.

"I've sent a few toadies to scout the enemy, and the military situation's worse than I expected. Both the Mushroom Province and Grass Land are completely guarded by the military, while Desert Land and Water Land may already have anti-aircraft missiles deployed. Of course, Pipe Land also has military forces infiltrating, and flying over there can mess up our land troops. Instead of flying over those lands, we have to take a detour north over Ice Land and Sky Land."

"Vhat? Vhy Sky Land and Ice Land?"

"Well, we have to drop Lawrence off, silly!"

"But, um, isn't it easier just for me to get dropped off here and just use the Pipe Maze?" Larry suggested as he looks out the window, still seeing the lavender field before thinking, 'Geez, how large IS this field?'

"Dropping you off here, in a potential hotzone between our troops and the Mushroom Kingdom? Never! Too evil for even me! Even so, the Pipe Maze will be heavily guarded by either side. Instead, my plan is for you to be dropped off at Upper Sky Land; from their isolation, wealth and greater autonomy, they tend to be friendlier to koopas and more skeptical of the Mushroom Kingdom's military actions than the rest of the provinces and Lower Sky Land, but it can still be tricky."

"Upper Sky Land?" a confused Larry questioned, "How will I get to the Mushroom Kingdom from there? Jump?"

"Vacation planes and blimps travel regularly between Toad Town and Nimbus City. Try one of those. Of course, I'd recommend some sort of dress-up, considering you're a koopa. Upper Sky Land cares more about wealth, so they don't discriminate against especially rich koopas, but you will have issues in the Mushroom Province, obviously," Kamek suggested.

Remembering the mission given by Ludwig to spy on Peach's wedding, Larry digs around inside his shell until he feels the mushroomer disguise. Grinning, he pulls the disguise from his shell and flaunts it in front of the two.

Kamek eyes the uniform, bobbing his head up and down as studies the outfit, while Ludwig lets out a giggling fit.

"Aaaahahaha! Zat zing, Lawrence?! Zat'll pop off your head as usual!"

"Hey! It's the best I have!"

"Wait, dat mushroom thing?" Roy inquired, seeming to forget his permanent vow of silence, "Da one ya said ya'd throw away since dat one mission failed?"

Larry sighs before answering on the intercom, "Yes, Roy, that one."

"From Penguin to Pocatello, gee whiz Larry, you should've been a shapeshifter," Morton advised. Picturing Morton grinning to himself at his comment, Larry rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever."

Despite the negative comments received from his brothers, Kamek gives one last nod before giving Larry an evil grin.

"That's perfect, Lawrence! Truly the purest evil!"

"Well, at least SOMEONE appreciates it," the youngest stated, giving a playful glare to Ludwig, "Anyway, how far from Sky Land are we?"

"We should be there in a few hours. Make sure you're ready by then, Lawrence."

* * *

Traveling on the multiple islands of the Dark Sea proves uneventful, other than the alternating between walking on sandy shores and swimming in salty seas. The four figured that, by this time, the food and water stored in the two bags may be suffering from the effects of salinity and moisture. While worried over the fact, they accept the fact that none of the four can do anything to keep their only guaranteed supply of essentials kempt.

"Geez! How far is this coastline?!" Peach questioned, vigorously swimming towards the large coastline now present. Not far from the coastline, she spots Bowser's Dark Realm Castle on her right, while to her left she sees a huge, sky-breaking mountain chain. Daisy and Luigi both grin at the coastline's sight while Bowser, burdened with the two bags and resorting to paddling on his back, sighs in relief.

None of the three answer to Peach, although all four know the obvious answer as their feet contact the sand below them. Ecstatic, Luigi and Daisy dash towards the unsaturated portion of the beach while Peach hangs behind with Bowser.

"We made it… Finally…" the koopa king sighed as he hangs the bags over his shoulder.

"We sure did! Though you were slow, slacker!" Peach exclaims before adding a playful punch to Bowser's arm, causing him to groan, before she runs around the beach.

"OW!" Bowser exclaimed before dropping the bags on the sand and chasing after her, "Now it's on!"

Peach giggles as she avoids Bowser's swipes before tripping over her own feet. With a gasp, she collapses face-first into the sand, stunned albeit thankful the sand's too deep to cause any damage. Before she's able to get back up and flee Bowser, she feels his claws around her body. Seconds later, she's hoisted up and raised above Bowser's head.

"I got you!" he teased, spinning around once before lowering the princess back to the sand, "Can't mess with the King!"

"Yeah yeah, little dork, I'll get you again," Peach replied as she studies the beachfront. This must've been a spectacular location before the skies turned dark; the beautiful, purple water stretches clear beyond the horizon, while the float island – their former prison – appears near-transparent due to its distance. Under the violet-tinted black clouds, the ocean seems to almost… Glow.

A sudden scream snaps Peach back into reality. She knows that scream, although she hears it once in a blue moon. Daisy never screams at anything; she must be in trouble!

"What was that?!" Bowser questioned as Peach sprints away from the beach. Not wanting to be left behind, the Koopa King runs until he catches up to the distressed damsel, "What's wrong?"

"That scream – it's Daisy's! Something's wrong, Bowser, and I don't know what," Peach huffed. Despite the tiredness and the aching, she continues running, eager to catch up with her friend.

"Geez! How far did they go?" Bowser asked as he slows down his pace, "Because-"

Before he can finish, a multitude of goombos, bombshell koopas, bunbuns and other foreign fauna surround a burning Bowser's Castle. Amid the baddies, Bowser and Peach spot Daisy and Luigi gagged and tied to a large pole. The baddies must've found out about Daisy's defection, unless Chai itself risk trouble from the three lower kingdoms.

From amongst the goomba lookalikes, explosive koopas, fearsome bees, and other Sarasalandian species, a large, lion-like creature walks up to the duo, a glare implanted on his feline face. Bowser glares back at the beast while Peach trembles behind the koopa king. Seeing the movement behind him, the lion smirks.

"Well, well, well!" the lion roared, flicking his red-tipped tail in annoyance, "Look who we have here! The FORMER princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, AND the FORMER king of Dark Land! You just know it's a good day when you capture THREE pathetic monarchs and a pathetic blood traitor!"

"Look, dude, cool intro and all," Bowser replied, folding his arms and still glaring at the figure, "But get out of my way. Now!"

"No? We're just starting our fun!" the feline grinned, "For decades, Birabuto and the others have been stuck under Chai's rule. Sarasaland, under Princess Daisy Sarasa's rule and her parents', have turned our entire continent into a pathetic, laughable joke. Sarasaland looked weak; it couldn't protect itself from the disgusting influence of BOTH your kingdoms!"

"And you think the idiot, Mario, will do anything about it, doofus?" Bowser growled, "He can't even lead a yoshi out of a pit!"

The lion smirks while shaking its head, seeming fed-up with the situation.

"You don't get it? Mario's merely a useful pawn in all this, not the master. Mario has absolutely no control over this."

"Then who's the master?" Bowser interrogated, fists clenching together.

"Why should I tell you?" the lion questioned, smirk still implanted on his face as he readjusts his orange-and-black-striped headdress.

"Because I WILL knock you out, you piece of-"

"Why so violent?" the being questioned, his smirk only growing in size, "Your previous responses show you love mysteries and guessing games. Why should I ruin your fun?"

Bowser remains silent, seemingly stunned at the feline's snarky responses. Satisfied with the silence of its opposition, the lion then raises his right paw, gathering the attention of all the minions around Bowser's Castle. With all attention poisoned on him, the lion then speaks to the duo.

"I, King Totomesu of the Birabuto Kingdom of Sarasaland, pledged to defend my kingdom while simultaneously attacking the enemies of my allies. I will NOT refrain from pursuing my mission, nor will ANY of you stop me from doing so! Get in my way, and I WILL blast you to smithereens!"

For the first time since the encounter, Peach now has the energy to confront the king.

"My duty as Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom is to defend my residents from the wrath and torture of dictators, tyrants and disgusting philistines like you! You are in our way, and I command you, right now, to step away!"

"Ha!" King Totomesu guffawed, "Ha ha ha! Oh man! That's hilarious! Comedic gold! You two pathetic rejects against my magnificent army?! Nobody with even half a brain would dare!"

Unfortunately for King Totomesu, he was too busy laughing to realize the elbow nudging, the grinning and the silent whispers between Bowser and Peach. Both were up to a plan; both look as if they'll put up a fight against the army.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: Weee, thanks for the support as usual, everyone! I'm almost at 100 followers (and only ten of them were before 2014's redux), which surprised me in all honesty; I thought I'd get maybe 40-50 maximum. But enough about the stats! Good news is I'm past writing Chapter 30, so updates should be more common now. I don't believe in rushing chapters for a story, and I'll never rush, but I'm hoping for twice-a-month updates now, or once every 2 months at the slowest, but it shouldn't be 6-month intervals like it was back in 2015-16, and certainly not 14-year waits! :)


	19. All's Fair in Love and War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Totomesu's fought, the Koopalings plan and Larry explores Sky Land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the first chapter consisting of battles or other sorts of fighting, and it'll last through almost every other chapter from this point on. Likewise, the focuses on the romance (with Powser and Luaisy, with hints of others) and the family-oriented values also start during this chapter (hence this chapter's appropriate name) and will also continue. From putting love and war together (which require me to enter two different streams of thinking) many of these upcoming chapters, ESPECIALLY the ones coming up in Shard 4 (planned to start on either Chapter 30 or 31), were perhaps the toughest writing pieces I've EVER written, but in hindsight, I'm glad I went down this path.
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter!

 

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XIX**

**All's Fair in Love and War**

* * *

"So, uhh, what exactly is the plan?"

Nearing Pipe Land's fields, Lemmy sights an entire convoy occupying the Land, conducting routine exercises. He observes the fungi fighters as they slice a toppled tree's trunk with their swords; they weren't the typical Mushroomer weakings associated with screaming about their princess being in another castle, but rather ones whose life energy depends on a daily dose of some mutant steroidal medication. He didn't expect a high quality nor high quantity of troops to be present, and as a result, he failed to prepare well for this takeover.

Not to mention, Lemmy hates anything having to do with war or battle plans; he always liked peace or the more light-hearted chaos; anything involving laughter or fun. Every time the Koopalings met with Bowser, Lemmy would always zone out, instead performing acts such as juggling three circus balls beneath the meeting table. Even if he tried, Lemmy couldn't remember one plan they ever brewed during a meeting that could apply here.

"I don't know, Mister Leader, what is it?" Wendy interrogated, "That's totally your job title!"

"Hey! I didn't ask to lead!" the short koopaling replied, a defensive tinge leaking into his response.

"But you took the job anyway!" Wendy rebutted.

"What was I supposed to say? 'Ohh no Kammy! You lead for me!'?"

"Of course, idiot! Kammy at least has a plan!"

From his doomship, Iggy knows the argument will only heat up; both tend to be stubborn with their opinions, although Lemmy's more patient and understanding before his fuse blows. The middle koopaling, knowing this off-topic argument will not help them in any way, instead butts in with a few ideas.

"Guys! Back on topic! Argue when we're back in our castle!" Iggy scolded, resulting in the bickering koopalings quieting down, "Look at the southeast, then the northeast! There's less troops at the border to the northeast, so maybe we can enter Pipe Land through there, and that way we can flank them!"

"Flank them?" Wendy inquired, "How do we know that'll work?"

"We don't."

Silence comes from Lemmy's end – Iggy figures Lemmy's rolling his eye at the idea – while a long, dramatic sigh escapes from Wendy, followed by an outburst, "Then why did you suggest it?!"

"Because, look," Iggy starts to explain, "We passed by a camp, correct? Well, the armies in that camp, and whatever army goes to our castle, need basic resources like food, water, weapons and medical equipment. All the Mushroomer armies in Dark Land can only get it from one place: Pipe Land. So, if we go into Pipe Land from the north, then flank them there, we'll cut off their supply line, and that'll mess up both the armies in Pipe Land and in Dark Land. So, all in all? Out of the 27 times we flanked an enemy army's supply line, we were successful 26 of the times, so probability's on our side!"

Realizing the one failure Iggy mentions, Lemmy smirks. Never in his life had he seen Bowser, Ludwig, Roy and Morton beg for mercy more than they did when they tried disrupting a trade route between Donut Plains and Chocolate Island back in Dinosaur Land. Luckily, he oversaw Vanilla Dome; although between Donut Plains and Cookie Mountain, even the Dinosaur Land residents refuse to explore Vanilla Dome, hence he wasn't subject to punishment from the local barbaric cavepeople there.

"Yeah... And, like, how many of those flanks were destroyed by Mario?" Wendy questioned.

Iggy sighed, "All of them. But look. I know that funky, weird-haired guy you always make fun of stated that insanity is doing things over again and expecting different results, but think about it. Mario's not doing this for good intentions anymore, so whatever superpower he has, I doubt he has it right now. We need to try this again."

The two koopalings ponder over Iggy's idea; what will be the risk of all this, how many soldiers will get hurt or even killed by this? What if this flank proves to be another exception and a Dinosaur-Land-like catastrophe occurs? Lemmy doesn't want to get these mushroomers involved, else the fungi in Pipe Land will ambush the Dark Land convoy. Instead, Lemmy plans to give these mercenaries a chance to seize Dark Land and lower their guard before the convoy confronts the Pipelandian forces. After a few moments of weighing the idea and coming up with nothing better to combat Iggy's idea, Lemmy and Wendy both agree to the plan.

"Good idea. I'll phone Kammy," Lemmy suggested before once again taking charge, "Now let's go to the northeast!"

* * *

"Well, this isn't working out!"

Despite wanting Peach to be incorrect about the situation, Bowser must agree with her. Wave after wave of Sarasalandian baddies rush at the duo, doing their share of harm before Bowser's fire engulfs them. Meanwhile, bunbuns throw spears at the two, creating another atrocity the pair must avoid.

While Bowser ignites the goombos into oblivion, Peach has the novel idea of kicking back bombshell koopas to the group. The plan proves a success; the multiple detonations result in dozens of minions being launched into the air, all at unsafe velocities.

Although the duo make promising strides, King Totomesu, now lounging on a ledge surrounded by bunbuns, continues his cackling. Two against hundreds of qualified soldiers? Let alone, ONE who cannot even fend for herself, and another who gets constant slap-downs by a fat plumber? Absolutely pathetic. If worse comes to worst, he'll have to intervene, but at this moment, he's having too good a time watching this circus.

"Aww, did that hurt?" the lion cooed as Peach shakes her foot after a goombo headbutts into it, "Poor little girl!"

Picking up Totomesu's words, Peach simmers, resulting in four more bombshell koopas being kicked into the crowd. More minions fly into the air, some even breaking into Totomesu's bunbun defense and smacking him square in the face. As the king slows his laughing, the disturbed bunbuns now buzz towards Peach, spears drawn.

"Oh, no you don't!" Bowser shouts before holding his breath then exhaling a pillar of fire over the bunbuns, disintegrating the fighter-bees.

"Whew, that was close," Peach called before a hoard of goombos run between her and Bowser, creating a miniature stampede as the cursed fungi dash towards them. As an instinct, she sprints from both the goombo group and Bowser before turning around and leaping. Learning from Mario, she steps on each goombo, knocking them unconscious.

Meanwhile, Bowser proves to be less agile with his hoard. His energy too drained to jump, Bowser's limited to turning in circles, igniting anything surrounding him. This proves a good strategy, until Peach notices a rather concerning minion approaching the koopa king.

"Bowser! Watch out! Behind you!" Peach cried, sighting a bombshell koopa homing in on him. She knows she needs to stop the travelling time bomb before Bowser lights its fuse, but her stone-heavy legs prevent her from performing the vital dash. Bowser's flame lights the bombshell koopa, resulting in an explosion blowing every contender, including Bowser, into the air. Seconds later, the koopa king lands on the ground with a thud, knocking him out cold.

"Bowser!" Peach cried, perhaps for the first time having sympathy for the large koopa. He's in terrible shape; oozing blood from his forehead mixes with his fiery-red hair, while his right arm appears as if it's been caught once too many times in a Ball n' Chain; the empathetic Peach even feels the pain by just gazing at him.

She sprints towards the fallen koopa and observes him in more detail. While Bowser's in an awful condition, his shell remains intact. Koopa anatomy confuses her; a cracked shell indicates a fatal injury, yet koopas can remove their shells whenever they choose. Perhaps the cracked shell isn't fatal in itself, but rather the shell's fragments slice an essential internal organ. In that case, even an intact shell doesn't guarentee Bowser's survival.

From the ledge, Totomesu cackles at Peach's concerned crying.

"Did you see that? Cool, wasn't it? It's amazing how strong bombshell koopas' blasts are; strong enough to lift fat koopas ten meters in the air like that! Wanna go on that ride also?"

"You back off!" Peach shouted, all her anger and worry condensing into a passionate, yet tone-cracking statement, "Leave Jewelry Land. NOW!"

"Aww, why so? Who died and made you ruler here?" Totomesu retorted.

At a loss of words, Peach remains silent, although a far-off voice comes to her defense.

"Totomesu. Take the army, and leave, right now," Daisy commanded, still tied to the pole surrounded by the army, "Or I WILL have Birobuto sanctioned and occupied by Chai."

Little spouts of fire erupt from Totomesu's mouth as he bursts out laughing at Daisy's threat.

"Empty threats now, 'Dear Princess'? Do you not keep up with your own Land's news? Muda and Easton are siding with us. Chai's all alone, and soon will be invaded by us three. Frankly, we're tired of the endless crap both you and your gullible, pathetic parents utter. Your family is an absolute disgrace to all Sarasaland, and so is the kingdom of Chai. That's why we are eliminating that toxic kingdom and its rulers!"

"Oh, quit throwing a tantrum, Toto. We ALL agreed, fair and square, that Chai will have the current leading role of Sarasaland! Your changing of it is an illegal move!"

"That was before Morton Koopa's cancerous rule in Dark Land, AND before the Toadstool Dynasty came into full-swing in the Mushroom Kingdom!" the now-upset Totomesu stomps, "Sarasaland was under constant threat from Morton; agent koopas from Dark Land always threatened Birobuto and Easton with bombings and mass violence; some even happened! What did the Toadstool Family do about it? Absolutely NOTHING. What did your parents do about it? You guessed it: ZILCH. Why? Because Morton NEVER threatened Chai."

"So?" Daisy attempts to recover her thoughts after the scolding she and her family received, "You could've done this in another direction! Not one that threatens our union even more!"

"What's that? Ignore foreign policy? Dance, sing and clap as the bastard over there finishes his father's work, while Peach and her pathetic parents do nothing but ask for peace?" Totomesu scoffed, now angry at this point, "Y'know what? Minions! Shut her up! I'm tired of hearing her!"

A stray hammer brother, most likely a defect from Bowser's army, throws his notorious carpentry tools at Daisy, knocking her out on contact. Luigi, who remained quiet during the confrontation, protests the move, also earning a hard bonk from the brother.

"You heard this from Daisy," Peach tries her best to stay calm, despite the current circumstances. She admits, she's furious over the unconsciousness of Bowser, Daisy and Luigi, and Totomesu's trashing of her parents – her missing, beloved parents, "But I WILL tell you once more, and only once more. Leave Jewelry Land and let us through."

"Nope!" Totomesu grins, sensing the anger in the princess' voice.

By now, Peach trembles; her powerful, negative emotions attempt to cloud her judgment, but her parents' words returned to her mind: "if you're ever in trouble, use the jewel." Peach looks down at her gleaming sapphire and reaches for it. She wishes she used it while Mario's goons arrested her, but in hindsight, she's glad she didn't; this entire heist turned out larger than she realized, and the jewel's use may have been for naught. On the other hand, the jewel might also come in handy later, but she doesn't see herself winning a battle against a fatuous feline and his countless minions by herself.

"I wish it didn't have to come down to this, but it'll just have to," Peach sighed, clutching the blue jewel on her dress. As she rubs the jewel, a heavenward, blinding light erupts from the gem, striking the dark clouds constituting the Dark Realm and vaporizing them. Blue skies replace the black smoggy air, bringing color back to the achromatic setting and awakening the still landscape. As the sunlight hits her jewel, Peach's prized possession detaches from her dress and falls into her palm before the jewel disappears into her skin. As a result, Peach feels an immense power rush over her as her body begins flashing different colors. Her arms and legs feel capable of performing any strength-bearing duty, despite remaining the same size, while a glare remains implanted on her flashing face.

"Nice show, but nope!" Totomesu launches a large fireball at Peach. The fireball strikes her face, but she doesn't recoil in pain, "What?!"

"I've warned you. Several times," Peach declared, her voice now a few octaves lower than before. She then jumps on a wall where Totomesu shivers just above; her powers now giving her much more capability and stamina to climb up to the ledge. After reaching the top of the wall, she kicks herself to Totomesu's ledge and stares down at the frightened lion.

"P-p-please have m-m-mercy-"

"MERCY?!" Peach's bass-pitched voice booms throughout the landscape, "YOU almost killed Bowser! YOU got Daisy kicked out from her own kingdom! YOU knocked out both her and my friend Luigi over there! AND YOU are siding with those who probably kidnapped my parents! So do NOT tell me about mercy!"

After her rant, Peach throws herself onto Totomesu, throwing punch after punch on his face while not flinching at all to his clawing and firebreath. As she pins him under her, she feels the lion lose energy; only then does she step back and studies Totomesu.

She's done a number to his face: two black eyes, a large cut on his forehead, a bloodied nose, missing fangs; his cheekbones even appear to be broken. Nonetheless, he's still conscious, giving her a pleading stare as tears roll down his face.

"Crying now? 'You're pathetic'," Peach mockingly quotes Totomesu, "Now say goodnight!"

Totomesu couldn't utter the words before Peach punches him twice more in his face, knocking him out cold.

By this time, the power dissipates from her, and although all her wounds healed, her chest still heaves, shocked at what she's just done. She's dainty; benevolent. She doesn't favor beating up people, and when she needs to, she doesn't find joy in it. However, with beating the demons out of Totomesu, she's satisfied with the bloodshed she committed. She tends to sit in a jail or on her throne when the figurative trash gets taken out by Mario, hardly involved in heroic actions, but to be in the action herself is life-changing.

She knows he's not dead – a much more unfortunate reality for Totomesu rather than for her – but she should feel guiltier about finding pleasure in such violence.

However, euphoria, rather than guilt, resonates within her as she stares at her blood-soaked gloves—she can be independent and fearsome whenever needs be, and she loves that.

* * *

An estimated ten minutes away from Upper Sky Land, Larry heads into one of the doomship's cabins to change from his tuxedo to his Mushroom costume. Not wanting a repeat of the event Ludwig still teases him about, the youngest koopaling brushes out the hair gel from his Mohawk before swapping into the costume. He hates appearing in public without his gel-styled Mohawk; flat hair makes him look... Hideous. But if he keeps his disguise, he won't need to worry about his appearance.

Of course, the mushroom costume fits on much tighter than Larry remembers—he grew quite a bit since its last use in anything memorable—but nowhere tight enough to stop his current plans. With the snug suit on and the mushroom cap fitting over his now-flat hair, the koopa spy checks himself out in a mirror hanging on the door. He looks… Well, normal, albeit taller than an average mushroomer, but nothing too extreme or impossible. Likewise, his cerulean hair leaking out the cap and brushing past his shoulder blades appears exotic, but also never unheard of in Mushroomers—Toadette being the most famous example. Either way, if he acts like a typical Mushroomer, he shouldn't be discovered.

As the spy starts checking himself out in the mirror and does random poses, the doomship does a massive slowdown before it screeches to a halt. Either the doomship ran into an array of birds—a rather messy quagmire that occurred once too many times in his life—or they arrived at Upper Sky Land; as conventional knowledge dictates, Larry prefers the latter possibility.

"Lawrence, ve're here," Ludwig called from the doomship's PA system, "Of course ve're hovering over ze clouds of Upper Sky Land, so utilize a parachute."

Although alone in the room, Larry nods before grinning to himself. The young koopaling exits the room, heads back to the ship's cockpit and grabs a parachute from the chute cabinet. Although he never learned how to operate a doomship, each koopaling's been thoroughly trained on the parachute's usage in the rare case of emergency, or the much more common case of Seize The Peach. Thus, Larry has no problems gearing up, although he never skydived from this high in altitude before.

With the parachute on and ready to deploy, Larry opens the doomship's escape hatch. Although Upper Sky Land doesn't have the same allegiance to the Mushroom Kingdom as the other lands, Ludwig, Kamek and the other doomships treat the current operation as a stealth mission, requiring them to stay a few thousand feet above the clouds.

Larry glances down and gives the ant-sized mushroomers a nervous look before turning back to Ludwig with a puzzled expression. How can he, the least trusting koopaling, put this much trust in a stupid bag?

"You got zis. You've done more dangerous zings as a spy. Plus, skydiving's fantastic!"

Larry continues his concerned stare at the mushroomers. Eavesdropping's a dangerous task, but he's more at ease with such tasks than having his life depend on fabric and strings.

"If you say so…"

Larry looks down once again, this time with a bout of coerced excitement flowing through him. He always wanted to live the life of a spy thriller, and skydiving's only one of many stunts every thriller's main character does. Plus, he can't spy on the Mushroom Kingdom if he doesn't jump out.

Sighing, Larry then spreads out his arms, and with his eyes closed, leaps out the doomship.

From his initial conclusions, the youngest koopaling never thought he would equate skydiving with… Serenity. The way the air blankets him, acting as a cloud buffering his speed, he feels a strange excitation-relaxation overcome him. As the flea-sized creatures increase in size exponentially, Larry tugs his parachute open. He found the initial jarring of the transition between free-falling and smooth gliding to be rather uncomfortable and painful, but as his body adjusts, the feeling of serenity once again returns.

Looking down, the spy spots several mushroomers gathering in a field below him; some with curious demeanors while others shoot photographs of his gliding. This being Sky Land, Larry would've thought they'd be used to skydivers now, but that turns out to be naught.

"Wow, dude!" one mushroomer shouted as Larry makes a stick-it, knees-bent landing on the cloud below, "That was totally rad!"

"Uhh, thanks," Larry tried his best to sound like the stereotypical Mushroomer. Due to his disguising habits as a spy, he's able to mimic well, but at the same time he's cautious of overdoing it and raising suspicion.

"We don't get much skydivers landing in Sky Land or Nimbus Land," a blue-capped female mushroomer stated, camera in hand, "Usually the true daredevil tourists come here to dive FROM our kingdoms."

"Cool!" Larry pretended to care about the lady's statement, else he'd give away his identity, "But now I'm looking to travel back home to Toad Town. Where do I go?"

"We're actually in the field closest to the Nimbus City International Airport, dude!" the first mushroomer informed, "It's a few hundred meters away. See those towers over there in the distance? That's the airport! Sick, isn't it?!"

"Um, yeah. What about the tourist blimps?"

"Those got closed down a few weeks ago," one mushroomer stated, "The blimps didn't require ID, and that was a risk to our kingdom, so Sky Land closed it."

Larry almost always have Plan B's and C's concocted incase anything ever goes wrong with a mission. However, this time he lacks such back-ups; he relied completely on ID-free travel, and the fake ID he made also expired. Acknowledging his foolishness only amateurs do, Larry mentally kicks and shames himself.

"There's no pipe?" Larry inquired, despite knowing the dangerous situation unfolding in Pipe Land and the Pipe Maze.

"Our government closed them off earlier also," a pink-capped Mushroomer woman negated, "Apparently there's rumours of both Peach's Grass Land and Dark Land invading Pipe Land, and to protect our Land, the pipes got closed off. It's honestly a scary thought, being invaded and controlled by Bowser and his brats."

Larry expels every ounce of his being to prevent himself from knocking out the woman, although a sharp glare manages to pass through his visage. Despite the gesture, Larry smiles at them as he crumples up his parachute into the backpack.

"What about skydiving off here? Like the other tourists apparently do?"

The group of mushroomers all shook their heads before the blue-capped woman spoke again.

"If your goal's the Mushroom Province, skydiving here's a terrible idea. People forget that Upper Sky Land doesn't just float wherever it wants. Upper Sky Land's formed from the odd clouds surrounding the Nimbus Mountains, and the Nimbus Mountains of northern Sky Land are some of the highest-elevation Mountains in the world. In fact, so high that despite our latitude, Upper Sky Land stays warm year-round. Skydive here and you'll land in the Stiriacus Plateaus surrounding the mountains. Not only are the Plateaus far from the Mushroom Province, but, it being the coldest, most hostile area of the Mushroom Kingdom – even more so than Ice Land – you won't survive long in that outfit. Hence me stating only daredevils skydive from here."

Out of ideas, Larry sighs before waving to the group; he'll need to figure out another way to get down to Toad Town. Anything, just anything.

"Thanks. I'm off now, I need to be back home."

The group of mushroomers wave as Larry strolls away from them. He's relieved none of the others noticed any fishiness—he always heard about Sky Land being an accepting, judgment-free Land—although he still needs to catch a plane between here and Toad Town. With no forms of ID nor any coins on him, that task will be the toughest part, especially as Larry thought up no formidable plan yet.

Even with concern welling up in him, Larry takes time to absorb his surroundings. Despite having a small population–only Ice Land ranks smaller in the number of residents–Sky Land's capital and largest city has a rather impressive… Err, skyline. It doesn't have the majestic skyscrapers like the ones found all throughout Desert Land or Giant Land, nor does it have a technological attractiveness such as the cities in Pipe Land. Instead, a multitude of smaller businesses litter Main Street, and a variety of trees grown, bred and altered to survive in the clouds outline the businesses. Being the mecca of the Top 1 Percent and the famous from across Plit, massive mansions dot the residential side of town while luxurious vehicles dot the smooth streets.

Nimbus City has a small town taste to it; it constitutes a perfect mixture of Skylandian culture and modernist architecture. Likewise, the stress-free environment tells of why this place receives flock after flock of tourists, as well as fascination from even Roy, who now begs for Sky Land on each kidnapping mission.

Too busy noticing the surroundings around him, Larry fails to recognize a glass door before him until he crashes into the door and the recoil knocks him flat on the ground. The sudden sensation followed by multiple gasps by mushroomers now surrounding him snaps Larry back into reality. Although dazed, he's concerned about the mushroomers gathering around him: are they all this nice and sympathetic, or did the accident destroy a portion of his disguise?

"Hey!" a mushroomer man dashes to Larry's aid, "You okay?"

"Ye-" Larry initially responds before noticing the mushroomer's back pocket, where a Toad Town Airlines ticket hangs out, coupled with an ID. Relishing the sight, Larry moves his leg, pretending to feel a sudden surge of pain, "Ugh, actually no, I think I bruised my leg, or pulled a muscle."

"I'll give you a hand, or rather, a shoulder," the mushroomer offered before offering a hand to Larry. Grinning, Larry grasps his hand and gets up, albeit pretending to limp, "Be careful! Put your arm over my shoulder."

"Thank you," Larry wheezed as he puts his right arm over the mushroomer's shoulder. He wonders if the guy noticed any abnormalities with him, such as his weight, which would give his identity away. Unlike Grass Land, where any and every characteristic falls victim to scrutiny depending on the day, he's heard of the rampant political correctness culture of Sky Land resulting in not many Skylandian residents blurting out their mind in the same way; if the Mushroomer or any other resident noticed any out-of-the-blue characteristics, he definitely wouldn't be told about it.

The crowd disperses once Larry and the mushroomer walk from the scene and towards the airport terminals. Larry studies his surroundings; seeing no one behind the duo, Larry moves his hand down towards the ticket in the mushroomer's back pocket and, exercising caution, pulls the boarding pass out. With stealth, he switches the packet to his left arm before pocketing it. Now, his goal's to get away without causing suspicion.

"Thanks for the help man," Larry thanked as he moves his 'injured' leg around, "I think I regained feeling in it again. Thank you!"

"You are welcome, sir," the Mushroomer smiled before moving his hand towards his back pocket. Noticing the packet gone, the mushroomer's demeanor changes, "Dammit! Where's my boarding pass?!"

"Uhh," Larry raises one eyebrow, pretending to exhibit a confused expression, "Did it fall out when you helped me up?"

"I honestly don't know! Let me check!"

While the mushroomer hurries towards the sliding glass door Larry crashed into earlier, the young koopaling dashes towards his gate and presented 'his' ticket and 'his' ID to the flight attendant.

"Sir, your picture doesn't look the same as you."

Larry glares at the attendant before growling, "Are you making fun of my looks?! JUST so you know, I took a fire flower to the face. A FREAKING FIRE FLOWER. TO MY FACE! I've had too many reconstructive surgeries on my face to count, and now I get TOLD I am not who I am?!"

"N-no sir-"

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I-I-"

"Do you want a lawsuit?! I'LL SUE YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE WORTH AND A RED COIN MORE!" Larry continues his rage.

"N-n-n-" the flight attendant stutters before replying, "S-s-sorry, S-S-sir, you can j-just get on. F-five minutes until we t-takeoff."

Larry offers the female toad a final scowl before stepping onto the plane and taking his assigned seat: an aisle seat, not far from the bathroom, and with nobody by him.

Perfect.


	20. Probation

 

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XX**

**Probation**

* * *

Set on flanking the troops in Pipe Land, Kammy leads the airships and the ground troops towards the northeast. While the wise magikoopa appears confident over the plan, Lemmy, in his new role of commander, continues weighing his doubts, especially with specific concerns he'd never ponder over during conventional takeovers. Do they have enough supplies? Weapons and ammo? What about the casualties of his army? Wendy's army? Iggy's? A week ago he wouldn't care at all; the army, after all, were then treated as simple pawns. Now the army's their life force—their hope—and the soldiers sacrificed just as much, if not more, than the Royal Family. They are living beings, each with their own concerns and worries; they signed a contract with their own blood to defend Dark Land, and he's in charge of their fates. He must bring home as many as he's able to.

Iggy and Wendy express no such concern. Unlike Lemmy, Iggy sees each soldier as one willing to become a martyr in a righteous cause. They're on a mission to defend millions of residents in Dark Land. The operation matters, even if huge casualties occur. Wendy maintains similar views to Iggy, although her main strength resonates with hardline diplomacy and demands rather than with force, hence her support for such routes.

"How's the progress looking up there?" Kammy radioed in.

Snapping out of his concerns, Lemmy turns his head to a screen displaying the doomship's front camera. Zooming in, the second eldest koopaling notices a settlement containing several dozen tents and makeshift structures. The small koopaling zooms in with the doomship's camera and spots a mushroomer pointing towards him, mouthing words along the lines of 'Enemy spotted!'. The mushroomer's alert in mind, the soldiers scurry into their tents; within seconds, they reappear, weapons drawn and armor girded. They're now alert of the danger; action must now be taken by the ground convoy before they receive damage from the Mushroom Army.

"We've been spotted! Kammy! Prepare the army! They're coming from the west!" Lemmy shouted, "Iggy, release your paragoombas to distract them! Wendy, don't release yours yet!"

"On it!" Kammy replied before turning towards the convoy and raising her wand. The wand's purple orb pulses in anticipation, reflecting the old magikoopa's current aura, "The enemy is coming! Remember! You are fighting for the defense of your homeland!"

"Hurry, Kammy!" Lemmy cried as he observes both the gathering Mushhromer army and the paragoombas trickling from Iggy's doomship, "They're closing in on you!"

"You know what this means!" Kammy continued, "Charge!"

"CHAAAARRRRRGGGGEEEEE!" the convoy shouts, rushing behind Kammy, swords and wands drawn as Kammy zooms towards the mushroomers.

As the two enemies bunch together into one giant group, Iggy's paragoombas glide towards the mushroomers, causing more of a nuisance to the fungi than any serious harm. With their attention focused on the bothering swarm, the Mushroom army lose morale, resulting in the Koopas destroying large portions of the mushroomers before they snap back into reality. None of the Koopa Troop know why paragoombas prove successful when used on Mushroomers—theories circulate that goombas are nothing more than mushroomers cursed by black magic hundreds of years ago, resulting in some goomba-mushroomer connection humans and koopas alike cannot understand—but exploiting the Mushroomers' goomba-slaughtering priority proves successful for the Koopas.

"Magikoopas! KEEP ATTACKING!" Kammy commanded.

She summons a disorientation spell at the Mushroomers and points her wand at the Mushroomer mob. As Kammy casts it, arrows and throwing axes soar towards her. She avoids them, but not before a fire-tipped arrow pierces her robes. Kammy screams from the sudden agony and the quick-spreading fire. The wounded magikoopa collapses from her broomstick and into the mess below.

She lands on her ribs and her elbows; shattering fills her ears while she feels a sharp pain echoing throughout her body. A warm, metallic flavor overcomes her palate—the wounds must've extended to her mouth. Still demobilized, the elderly magikoopa attempts to roll out the fire while also avoiding the feet of both her allies and enemies. Much to Kammy's pleasure, she suffocates the fire, although the inferno leaves her robe with noticeable damage. Despite the good news, the shear pain prevents her from rising off the ground.

Losing sight of their trusted land-bound commander and his childhood guardian, Lemmy panics. Though remaining as calm as possible throughout the conflict, he cannot imagine the powerful Kammy—his father's most motherly-like minion—perishing on the field to a bunch of mushrooms. Iggy and Wendy express similar emotions as Wendy signals her white-robed healing magikoopas.

"Get Kammy!" Wendy commanded through her microphone, fear stridden in her voice, "Find her and heal her! NOW!"

Previously pondering her eulogy while avoiding being stepped on, Kammy's hope returns as Wendy's voice breaks through her earpiece. Not long after, she feels two white-sleeved hands grab around her waist and pull her up. Noticing she's in the arms of a white-robed magikoopa, Kammy breathes a sigh of relief. She at least knows she'll live, although she also needs time to recuperate. She's unfit to lead; the group will need another land commander.

As if reading her thoughts, Lemmy's bold voice breaks through her earpiece, ushering in another command.

"Pom Pom, command the ground forces while Kammy's out! Iggy! Land your doomship behind our army and pick up Kammy!"

As Pom Pom hollers command after command, Kammy relaxes as the white-robed magikoopa transports her to the Iggy's doomship. She knows both the Koopalings and Pom Pom will defeat the Mushroom Army, even without her help, but Kammy also doesn't plan on giving up.

* * *

Being used to the luxuries of the doomship, Larry's unable to stomach the flight to Toad Town, even if it only lasted a few hours. Squished airline seats replace the elegant couches and chairs and budget, low-quality airline food replace the gourmet helpings the doomship's famous for preparing. Not to mention the lavatories! How do people even turn around in those?! He doesn't get how peasants fly in such inhumane conditions, especially when warp pipes prove to be a cheaper, faster, more reliable alternative, but then again, this is a simple alternative to the warp pipes' complicated infrastructure.

Nonetheless, the spy handles the situation well. He's lucky enough to even have a form of transportation, let alone having his basic needs satisfied. All Larry needs is some form of plan. He knows he'll infiltrate the Mushroom Kingdom, but what will he need to do to achieve that goal? Rigging the system from the inside always works, coupled with exposing the fraud both Mario and the current "rulers" are, but he's unsure on how to perform such duties.

 _'First thing, I need to do research,_ ' Larry thought, unlatching the tray built into the seat before him, ripping off the back cover of a magazine and grabbing a pen stashed within the previous seat's pocket. In order to infiltrate, he'll need to first learn the locations of the Mushroom Kingdom's command bases and the top-secret areas Mario and his advisors meet. A simple tap in the Mushroom Kingdom government's intranet connection may help with the task, although a hack will make him detectable. He knows the mission will be risky—riskier than any other mission type he performed—but the spy also understands the necessity of this operation.

Thoughts run a mile a minute in his mind, but Larry attempts to formulate a working plan. Needing to weed out unknown variables, he starts with one vital piece he does know: Mario, unlike Peach and her parents, always favored centralization of the Mushroom Kingdom's power. The youngest koopaling recalls many instances when the red-clad plumber advocated for the military and judicial powers to take up residence in Peach's Castle, much to the annoyance of the Royal Couple. Now with the main obstacles uncalled for, Mario may have done just that, and if he has, Larry will have a source for more information on the military command center and other vital information.

Traversed in his brainstorming, he fails to realize a flight attendant refilling his drink and spilling a substantial amount of water on his drawing board. Larry stares at the mess in shock before looking up at the flight attendant in anger.

"What was that for?!" the youngest koopaling growled, fangs near-visible even in the disguise. Larry considers himself a clean, kempt koopaling; nothing ticks him off more than a mess on anything he created, especially on blueprints to his next kidnap plan.

"I'm sorry, Sir!" the female toad pulls out a rag, "I'll clean it for you!"

"No," Larry snatches the rag from the flight attendant. He didn't want anyone seeing these plans and ideas he's brainstorming, else he'll be found out, "I can clean it myself."

"But Sir-"

"I SAID I'll clean it myself!" Larry shoos the attendant with his hand, _'Geez, what's up with these flight attendants?'_

"Understood, Sir. Enjoy your flight."

 _'Whatever,'_ Larry rolls his eyes at the flight attendant as she continues her rounds. With a sigh, he presses the rag on top the soaked paper; although the paper turns into a low-quality mess, the ink itself appears to not have messed up, and with a careful cleanup method, the ink will be unscathed.

As the koopaling pats the towel over the plans, the paper becomes dry and rough to the touch. Just as he's about to jot down more ideas, an exhausted voice erupts on the plane's PA system.

"Attention passengers: we are arriving at Toad Town International Airport. We are now in the Heartland Standard Timezone; please adjust accordingly. Due to our landing, please remain seated and lift up the trays."

Larry picks up his draft and puts up the tray. He's confident in his ideas, and he doesn't want to cause even more scenes with the flight attendants—that'd only risk his disguise.

"Mario and the other freaks won't see this coming..."

* * *

"Peach!"

Snapping back into reality, the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom breaks her stare from the unconscious Totomesu and realizes her current situation. Not only did she do a brutal beat-down on one major member of the adversary, but she lacks any sort of wounds from doing so. Puzzled yet satisfied, she peeks over the ledge's edge: several unconscious baddies lie around her, while Daisy and Luigi, not far from the brutal scene, calls out her name.

"Peach!" Daisy repeated, still struggling within her restraints, "Did you get him good?!"

"Yeah… I did…" the soft voice escapes Peach's throat, although by some miracle, both Daisy and Luigi comprehend the words.

"Wow, umm," Luigi surveys the scene and identifies the knocked out minions before studying Peach's blood-soaked gloves, "We miss something?"

After looking around from the ledge, Peach jumps from the ledge and lands on both her hands and feet. She brushes the dirt from her gloved hands before taking the ruined clothing off, revealing her still-manicured hands. Dropping the gloves onto the ground, she hastens towards her two tied-up companions.

"I don't know; I guess so," Peach untied the duo from the pole before further explaining, "Mom always told me to touch the crystal on my dress whenever I was in danger. So I did."

Luigi and Daisy both glance at Peach's chest. The jewel, once noticeable on the princess's frilly pink dress, now absent.

"What do you think the jewel was, girl?"

Peach shrugs before answering Daisy, "I'm not sure, but when I touched it, the skies cleared, the Sun became visible, and, like a Super Star, I had immunity."

While Daisy now stares at the skies—apparently not noticing the sudden changes of light intensity before—Luigi ponders the phenomenon. He knows they all saved Jewelry Land from Bowser's curse, and they relightened the Dark Realm with the missing jewels, but that doesn't explain the Dark Realm darkening again. Someone else must've used magic here, but the way Peach's jewel cleared it, that couldn't be possible… Right?

"Well…" the green-clad plumber concluded, "Whatever it was, it saved us all."

Not participating in theories of any kind, Daisy snaps her eyes from the sky before sauntering towards Bowser.

"I totally love frolicking in the meadows, recalling our day and all, but we gotta go to Fret and Pine before my kingdom does!"

Peach and Luigi shrug before they both follow Daisy, who now kneels by the conscious, but dazed Bowser. Peach's eyes widen; despite being whacked hard by a bomb, not a wound appears on the Koopa King. The magic Peach experienced must've healed him too; she remembers the injuries he sustained even before the bombshell koopa incident commenced being gut-retching.

"Hurrr… I'll destroy you…" Bowser moans, eyes closed as he attempts to sit up, yet fails, "Graaah… Fear me and my army…"

Luigi and Peach giggle at the king's empty threats while Daisy hovers her gloved hand over Bowser and slaps him.

"Wake up, cuckoo! Rise and shine!"

Bowser snaps to attention before greeting the three with a confused, groggy expression.

"Wha?"

"You got knocked out by a bombshell koopa. I… Somehow let out magic, and it healed you and me."

Bowser attempts to nod, but the resulting rush of pain causes him to groan while rubbing his neck. Alarmed, he gazes at Peach.

"Healed me? Are you SURE about that?"

"Yes! You were bloodied up almost beyond recognition! Now you have no wounds!"

"But I still have pain," Bowser sighs, still working a kink out of his neck, "What magic was that? And when did the Sun come out?!"

The princess shrugs; she herself just noticed the soreness of her foot due to kicking the bombshell koopas. It could be their nerves after suffering trauma—nerves tend to take time to settle—and even the crystal couldn't speed the process up.

"You and me got healed, at least physically. Maybe mentally we still think we're hurt. As for the Sun… Well, that was the magic too."

Bowser once again attempts to hoist himself up, this time cautious to his 'injuries'. Once on his feet, the king stares at Peach's chest, puzzled.

"Shame you lost that jewel. Would've been great in the caves, the way it glowed."

"We have your fire, dude," Daisy intervenes before she and Luigi journey towards a large mountain just opposite Bowser's Castle, "Now let's go! Don't you lovebirds take too long!"

Daisy and Luigi giggle as both Bowser and Peach unleash verbal threats at the duo. The princess must admit: she didn't mind the company of Bowser; she in fact looks forward to their one-on-one meetups, and to be frank, she's worried about that development, especially due to their history. She's risked life and limb for him, while he's done the same for her, all whilst encouraging her.

For the first time in her life, she's unsure whether to inform Daisy of this development, due to the flower princess' latest habit of 'Bowser and Peach together forever, nanananabooboo' jeering. Nonetheless, she's inclined to at least inform someone… Anyone except for, of course, Bowser.

Hearing a throat clearing, followed by the words "Peach; Peachy, you okay?" she snaps out of her thoughts and spots Bowser eyeing her with concern. She feels her face warm up—praying to whichever star that Bowser wouldn't notice—before she responds.

"I-i-i-I'm fine. Yeah, I'm fine! Let's catch up with the others."

* * *

In a dark, forested area, Ludwig opens his eyes before stretching and murmuring incomplete sentences. He tends to be a morning person, save for the long, peaceful hours of the night he'd put into inventing back in the Kastle; this current period proves to be an exception.

The eldest koopaling rubs his eyes before letting out a soft yawn. Expecting to be in a secured chamber within the doomship, Ludwig does a double-take when he spots dead trees surrounding him, and a large, medieval-styled castle just past the trees. Did he get exiled by his own crew? Did the doomship crash and he was just knocked unconscious?

Or, perhaps, he found a wormhole transporting him to an alternate dimension. That must be it! After all, the warp pipe system that brought him to Austria and Mario to the Mushroom Kingdom exploited what may be a magically-summoned wormhole casted during ancient times. No expert, whether magikoopa or scientist, can explain in full how a wormhole forms nor what lies on the other side of one; if the ancient magic hypothesis proves true, any understanding of that magic now is lost.

Unnerved, Ludwig picks himself up and attempts to move towards the fortress. Although he feels himself moving, Ludwig doesn't feel himself _walking._ Curiosity overflows him as he looks down at his feet; he wasn't on the ground, but rather floating about half a meter in the air. If this were indeed the result of a wormhole, the concept of gravity may be subtle at best. He'll be the first person in recorded history to be on the other side of a wormhole; after decades of research, the forever-nagging mystery may now be settled!

The eldest koopaling stares at the full moon illuminating the scene. Although a scientist by nature, Ludwig's also fascinated with philosophies of all sorts, including astrological predictions, even if he doesn't always believe them. If no wormhole occurred, then perhaps the full moon's causing this, or the far-off Philosopher's Planet Kapia aligned itself with Plit. Who knows, but even the most skeptical person will know this current situation is against the Scientific Laws themselves, and this occurrence feels more than just a dream.

Shrugging the possibilities, Ludwig continues floating towards the citadel. Much of the citadel reminds him of Kastle Koopa—perhaps it was—making the koopaling even more confused. Are the armies not invading Kastle Koopa then? Or is this just a similar, yet different, castle in some undiscovered dimension?

Ludwig spots two figures exiting the castle: both young koopas, a male and female. The male sports a rose-colored shell and shorter, black hair, while the female exhibits a dark-blue shell and long, wavy dark hair. Ludwig ponders about the familiarity of the two; he's never seen these two before, but he feels as if he has a connection to them, especially to the girl.

A connection to kids most likely younger than him?! How does this happen?

With the questions digging at his mind and begging for answers, Ludwig glides towards the kids; perhaps they'll know what's going on.

"Greetings!" the koopaling calls to the kids, although the two ignore his salutations. They pull out a soccer ball, resulting in Ludwig sighing, "Excuse me?"

Once again, ignored. Defeated, Ludwig watches the two play, both giggling as they kick the ball from each other. Noticing a set of bleachers nearby, the eldest koopaling ascends to the top bench and sits down. He may as well watch, as they'll ignore any word he attempts to utter, and he has no idea on how to… Well, escape… this current scene.

He's still curious about the duo. Why do they appear so familiar? He's never seen either of them before. Then again, if he did stumble upon a wormhole, these may be two relatives in an alternate dimension. The pink-shelled koopa DID, in a way, resemble a slenderer Roy if he had hair, although the female didn't resemble any close siblings other than maybe Larry or Lemmy... Or even himself.

He snaps out of his thoughts when the soccer ball soars through him.

Wait, THROUGH him?! This is definitely a dream, or some sort of memory. This goes against scientific laws, even in a wormhole!

"Nice one, Lenny…" the girl sighs before collapsing onto the ground.

"Don't be jealous, Aly!"

"Yeah yeah, shut up and get the ball," the girl—Aly—commanded from her spot on the grass. As Lenny runs towards the ball, Aly now lies down shell-up on the cool grass.

However, not long after Lenny returns with the ball, the castle's door bursts open and a darker koopa emerges, sporting a stern expression on his grey face. Ludwig feels his eyes widen at the sight of the koopa: being familiar with the portraits of the kings preceding his father, the genius knows who the koopa is, even if they've never met in real life.

A shiver overcomes Ludwig as he continues studying the koopa's large stature. His clenched fists expose his shredded muscles, while his height and girth make Bowser appear as a mere runt. Multiple massive fangs leak from his scowl while his two sharp horns seem to even unleash their own expressions.

The koopa's none other than Morton Koopa Senior.

"Alyssa! Lennox! Get over here, now!"

Ludwig sits up, shocked at the names mentioned. Alyssa! Lennox! They're Bowser's younger siblings! He remembers them, and the stories Bowser would tell him about his younger siblings and about his father, although he never discussed the fates of the three. In short, with the help of Kamek, Bowser defended his younger siblings, and once again with Kamek's aid, they escaped Morton's wrath – most of the time.

The glowing smiles now wiped from their faces, the duo sag their shoulders and clump towards the large koopa. Ludwig follows their lead, floating his way towards the two, careful not to miss a line of dialogue.

"What did I say about training?!"

Lennox and Alyssa both shift on their feet, uncomfortable in the situation. From their eyes, Ludwig senses the despair, the dreariness and the darkness both endure in the fortress. Having grown under Bowser's explosive tempers, he's able to emphasize with them, to a point. But dealing with Morton's madness all day, every day? No wonder Kamek assisted them in an escape! Bowser's a cuddly teddy bear compared to Morton's wrath!

"Y-you s-said-" Lennox stuttered.

"-to focus on it more!" Alyssa sighed, staring down at the ground in disappointment.

"Exactly! So why are you out here?!" Morton stomps his foot, "You can still walk and run! That's a sign you didn't do enough!"

"Please, Daddy!" tears rolled down Lennox's face, "Give us a break!"

"Is the Mushroom Kingdom under our control?! No! That comes as the number one priority! And stop using those childish names and grow up!"

Speechless, Lennox trembles under Morton's extreme gaze. Sensing her brother in distress, Alyssa wraps her arm around him, although fear also wells up within herself.

"Okay, okay! We'll train!"

"I know you will," Morton takes his glare off from both koopas, "Because I commanded you to. Now get to it; train until you can't walk."

Morton reenters the castle, followed by Lennox still supported by Alyssa's arm. Ludwig attempts to enter the castle, curious onto where the two koopas 'train'. However, the door shuts before he's able to walk in, and unlike with the soccer ball, he's unable to walk through the door, nor can he open the door due to it being jammed.

"Curses!"

* * *

Ludwig awakes with a start, though this time he's back in his doomship chamber. The convoy must've landed in some location during his slumber; he cannot sense any flying sensation. Wondering what the holdup is, the eldest koopaling pulls open the window's blinds and sighs. Outside, a mid-spring blizzard rages, with visibility reduced to just meters ahead. The doomships are in no condition to lift off in this weather.

Perhaps he'll spend this extra time forming more of a plan with Kamek, as well as his two brothers if the connection's able to work.

Despite the agenda solidified in his head, Ludwig still wonders about the dream he had. This dream wasn't any ordinary dream: it wasn't something imaginary; he felt he was THERE, as if it was a different dimension.

But perhaps he needs to rid the thoughts. After all, what does his aunt, his uncle, and even his grandfather have to do with Mario's takeover of the Mushroom Kingdom? They don't even relate at all.

Unless… It somehow does…

Brushing off his dream, the eldest journeys towards the doomship's cockpit. The windshield's caked with snow; this storm may delay the fleet by at least a few hours, if not days. Of course, with time against them, Ludwig may need to risk takeoff if conditions don't improve soon.

"Ahh, there you are, Master Ludwig," Kamek stated as he enters the cockpit. The blue-robed magikoopa inches towards the koopaling before staring at the windshield and gives the obscured view a half-smirk, "The snow's fierce today, hmm?"

"Indeed," Ludwig replied, "Who called for ze landing?"

"I did, Master Ludwig, with confirmation from Boom Boom and Morton," Kamek admitted, "The conditions were worse then than they are now. We appear to be in Lower Sky Land."

Ludwig utters no reply as he browses through the doomship's flight history. The engines cut off about five hours ago, when temperatures plunged to -5F and the windspeed was at 41 knots from the east – against their path of travel. Looking at the provided meteorological information, the temperature rose to 10F while the wind only registers at about 12 knots.

Shivers overcome the eldest koopaling as he double-checks the temperatures. He can't imagine seeing temperatures as low as they were during any time of year, let alone in late-April. January must be a brutal month for Lower Sky Land, Ice Land and the other lands within this area; he always preferred the sub-tropical Pipe Land, Giant Land and the much balmier Upper Sky Land for his invasion targets.

"Vell... Ze meteorological data collected indicates zat ve have favorable conditions for relaunch. Of course, 'favorable' being relative," Ludwig clarified before turning on the doomship's windshield wipers. The machinery, despite struggling, manages to push off the thick clump of snow in its path, leaving behind only a patch of ice about a centimeter thick. The koopaling then turns on the heat's windshield defrost setting, "Vunce zis defrosts, ve are ready. I'll inform ze ozzers."

"Good plan, Master Ludwig," Kamek confirmed as Ludwig turns on the PA system and tunes it to Roy and Morton's channel.

"Brozzers," Ludwig spoke into the mic, "Are you available?"

Ludwig hears shuffling from one of the two before a groggy voice replies.

"Graw... I'm here now," the voice yawned, "When are we leaving, oh Dear Wonderful Leader?"

A chuckle escapes the eldest's mouth before he replies, "I'm glad your sarcasm's in sync vith your vords, Morton. It shows zat you are mentally capable of handling ze events ve vill partake in. Now, all ve need is Roy-"

"Yeah yeah, I'm here," Roy's voice cuts in the moment Ludwig mentions his name. Expecting an argument, Ludwig closes his eyes in annoyance before replying.

"Phenomenal. Now, defrost your vindows, get your troops ready and tell ze rest of your fleets to be ready. Ve vill depart in approximately half an hour. Ve must get to Jewelry Land, and ve must do it as efficiently as scientifically possible."

"Roger," Morton relayed.

As the line goes silent, Ludwig turns towards Kamek, who observes several scenes through his blue-tipped magic wand.

"Kamek, I must inquire you of a mind-infuriating circumstance plaguing me at zis moment," Ludwig stated, "Zat is ze concept of dreams. How often do you rely on dreams?"

Kamek looks up from his wand and towards Ludwig, "Well, Master Ludwig, dreams can mean anything. In most cases, they are symbolic gestures from the Stars themselves, but they can also be prophesies. Sleep, like meditation, connects us to a realm that's much more sophisticated than our basic three dimensions. A realm where we can control time and erase previous actions."

"Do such actions reflect in our... For lack of a better term, 'present' vorld?" Ludwig questioned.

"Nope," Kamek shook his head, "But that doesn't mean we can't get information about the past or the future. That's how our prophesies and our history became available. Why do you have these questions, Master Ludwig?"

"I'm unsure myself. I had a dream about Uncle Lennox and Aunt Alyssa vhen zey vere kids."

Kamek shrugged, "It could be a message. But, with dreams about the past, you typically find out the meaning only when you're caught up in the same situation it tried warning about. As they say, history repeats itself, because we all think we're more sophisticated than our primitive past. But no one ever realizes that the same primitive actions make up our core; it never disappears from us."

"Hmm..." Ludwig thought, "A razzer enlightening conversation. My gratitude, Kamek; as curious as I am about zis dream, I must first focus on the safety and survivability of my fleet."

"I agree, Master Ludwig, but always keep an open mind. Only then can you receive the answers you most desire."


	21. Discovery

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XXI**

**Discovery**

* * *

"Is this it?"

Peach gasps at the sheer size of the cave opening, as well as the bleakness that continues for meters in. No light welcomes the quartet, resulting in insecure feelings welling up within the princess. She never enjoyed dark areas; nothing good ever came from them. In the twilight zones, she's robbed of one vital sense, resulting in her abduction chances skyrocketing.

"Looks like it, Peach… I had Kamek be in charge of this cave when Mario came through. Kamek said the cave leads to the Light Realm, but the cave is… Long."

Daisy and Luigi peer into the cave then gives Bowser a nod. Indeed, the cave's pitch-black; they'll need fire and torch material.

"So, I learned how to make a torch on my wilderness survival trips," Daisy started almost too nonchalant, "The easiest way is with a stick, a sort of fabric, a sort of flammable substance, something to keep the fabric on the stick, and a firestarter."

While Daisy hunts for a few good sticks, the other three ponder over what items they can use to construct the stick. Peach, of course, tends to wear a hairband, but she lost the band days ago in the float castle's forests. Bowser and Luigi, as expected, never wore any sort of elastic band, nor do they have any reliable flammable fuel.

"Wait!" Luigi exclaimed, snapping both Bowser and Peach out of their thoughts, "Bowser! Let me see inside the bags."

Shrugging, Bowser lays the bags down. In haste, Luigi dumps the contents out of one of the bags, revealing kitchen staples such as rusting utensils, a damaged salt shaker and a broken jar of solidified oil. With care, Luigi hoists the oil into his hands while eying the others.

"Err, I brought coconut oil. I don't know why," Luigi shrugged, "But it works as fuel, right?"

"It burns well enough. There's better fuels, but we don't have those," Daisy answered, carrying three large sticks with her, "We can use that as the fuel, and I have the sticks to use. We can use that sack as the fabric, and unless any of you have a better idea, we can just tie the fabric onto the stick."

Seeing none of them protest the decision, Daisy lays down the stick and rips the empty sack into a large rectangular mass before further dissecting it into three near-equal parts. As she puts a sheet over the first stick, she tears a piece of fabric from the sheet and uses it to tie the fabric onto the stick. She tests the strength of the fabric's hold before handing the unmade torch to Luigi.

"Weeg," Daisy cooed, much to the enjoyment of Peach and Bowser, "Rub on the oil!"

Peach and Bowser snicker while the red-faced Luigi rubs a slab of coconut oil onto the 'torch' tip. He repeats the process to the three other torches as Daisy finishes crafting them, much to Peach and Bowser's enjoyment.

"Sheesh, I feel like I'm in high school with you two laughing over there," Luigi rolls his eyes, still blushing, "Grow up!"

"Now you know how it feels!" Peach exclaimed, "You two always tease me and Bowser about romance!"

"Yeah, but…" Daisy paused before exchanging eye contact between Peach and Bowser, "You two are enemies. Err, WERE enemies. Now you both are lovebirds, and you two know it! Stop hiding it! Your case is much more fun!"

Peach feels her face heating up as Daisy counseled her. She realizes she DOES have some sort of feeling for Bowser, but at this point, she's more curious about him as a whole. But, Daisy's statement rings in her ears. Is she truly hiding romantic feelings for Bowser?

"Hmmph. Let's stop burning time and let's go in the cave already!" Peach muttered.

Bowser takes a torch and launches a small fireball at the tip, igniting the oil-covered cloth. Luigi, Daisy and Peach pick up their unlit torches and stare at the now-blue sky for the last time. They're unsure when they'll be out of the cave, but they hope within a few hours.

The quartet enter the cave where the grotto's frigid conditions bombard them. Daisy whiffs the dank air and cringes; mold's growing everywhere, and the spores will grow on whatever food's still edible. They need to hurry through this cave, but none of the four, save for maybe Bowser, know how deep it goes.

"Good ol' spelunking, this is perhaps the moistest cave I've ever been in," Daisy murmured, "But if it's only water and not something gross like... Uhh, bat pee or something... We'll be a-ok."

"Bats?!" Peach shivered at the thought, "There better not be bats here!"

"We're in a cave, missy! Get ready to see bats and other weird creepy, crawling critters!" Daisy reminded, causing the pink princess to cross her arms and scowl.

"Daisy!"

"Just sayin'. Call it a warning. But it's definitely moist enough for life in here."

"I see..." Bowser murmured as he stares at the torch's fire, which struggles to stay alive due to the cave's humidity. Despite its struggles, the fire illuminates the path, revealing a forked path, "I think all the paths go straight... Or maybe one turns? Dunno, but the wrong paths don't go too far, so if we take one, we can just turn around."

"Geez, Mister Confident, I hope you don't get us lost now!" the Sarasalandian princess replied, her sassy tone causing Bowser to sigh.

"You lead then, Miss Spelunker."

"Maybe I should!" Daisy raised her voice, resulting in her voice echoing. As the sound travels throughout the cave, the four characters hope their voices don't disrupt any beings that shouldn't otherwise be disturbed, although they hear scurrying as a response.

The four follow Daisy, although heeding Bowser's advice to go straight. As they venture deeper into the unknown, the humidity only increases and the temperature drops to near-freezing temperatures. Through the fire's faint light, the characters spot large fungal growths on the cave's rocky walls, from never-before-seen mushrooms to frost-resistant mold cultures.

Despite the frigid conditions, a freshwater stream trickles from the walls and travels across the ground. Luigi stares at the stream, thirsting for its contents.

"We need more water," the green-clad plumber notified, "All the water I packed were in the bags, but we ran out of them."

Daisy nodded, "Definitely! But we need to disinfect the water. I doubt we have iodine, so we need to boil this. The last thing we want is someone getting sick in the middle of nowhere."

"I mean, we always could..." Luigi admitted, "But we're in a cave. This torch flame's probably dangerous enough."

"The cave's high enough," Daisy pointed out as she stares at the cave's stalactites about twenty feet above her, "So a little fire shouldn't do much harm."

Meanwhile, Peach and Bowser also observe the stream's clear water, listening to the running water's murmuring echoes playing in the background of the other two's voices. They need to get more water, but the koopa king's also unsure of what the group have left to treat the water. Handing the lit torch to Peach, Bowser drops the remaining sack and rummages through the contents. He pulls out the wooden cooking utensils and the wooden saltshaker; this can be viable firewood for boiling the water.

"My survival guide said that fire inside a cave is fine, as long as it's in the back of it," Daisy continued, "And the smoke rises while the oxygen gets burned off from the bottom. As long as we stay low and the fire isn't too big, the fire won't be bad."

Luigi nods, "Okay, let's do that then."

"Here's some firewood," Bowser points towards the utensils and the shaker before pulling out an intact 2-liter jug, "And there's also a jar in here."

Luigi takes the discarded wood and arranges them on a flat area before surrounding the pit with loose stones. Meanwhile, Daisy takes the jug from Bowser and fills it up at the stream, while Peach directs the lit torch towards Luigi's firepit and sets the wood ablaze.

An immediate warmth radiates throughout the cave and the three humans sigh in relief. Experiencing the sudden temperature change, Daisy shivers a little, spilling a bit of the water from the jug as she places it on a stone next to the fire.

"Welp," the Sarasalandian princess concluded as she stares at the other characters, "We need to wait a bit. We might as well camp out here."

"Tell me about it," Peach sighed, "We had to walk, swim, fight one of your traitorous kings and explore this thing."

"And we're not even done yet!" Daisy added, "But now we need to relax."

* * *

Despite reeling from her injuries, Kammy desires to be on the battlefield, leading the troops to victory in the name of Dark Land. She wants to help the Koopalings with their victory over Mario's villainous soldiers, and she wants to save her homeland from those despicable mushroomers. Her body, however, remains in the unfortunate position of disobeying her mind; even a muscle twitch leads to a surge of pain for the frail magikoopa.

"Gah!" Kammy screeched as her arm starts twitching, "Those filthy mushroomers will pay!"

Even she knows her own threats, like her legs in their current state, carry no weight. She's trapped on a hospital cot, able to attack with nothing more than words. Rather than firing light-based magic with her wand, only her murmurings bounce off the hospital room's empty white walls.

However, she has faith in the leadership abilities of Lemmy, Iggy, Wendy and Pom Pom; the four, along with the ground forces, will wipe out the Mushroom army with ease.

Deep in her thoughts and worries, Kammy fails to recognize a white-robed magikoopa entering her room, carrying a teapot, a teacup and a saucer. The magikoopa sets the saucer on Kammy's makeshift nightstand before setting the cup onto the saucer.

"Good evening, m'lady," the magikoopa greeted before pouring some tea into the cup, "You have no broken bones, surprisingly, so to treat you, I have here some brewed tiger lily. Within a few hours of drinking this and resting, your body will be healed from your injuries."

Kammy, remembering her fine days as a healing, white-robed magikoopa, gives the nurse a small smile before hoisting the cup towards her mouth. She's familiar with tiger lily – after all, the plant's quick regenerative process that makes it a wretched weed, also aids in faster healing; that property proves vital for medicinal purposes – but she never tasted the menthol-laced plant.

"I never thought tiger lily tasted like mint," Kammy marvelled, "It never left the smell on my fingers after I handled it."

"It's quite minty, m'lady, which is why we brew it as a tea. Many people out there cannot handle the pungent taste. The flavour really only comes out when the leaf's broken; it doesn't leave residue like mint."

Kammy continues drinking the tea whilst the magikoopa continues observing her. After she consumes the last drop of tea, she places the cup on the saucer and pours herself more of the tea. Before drinking, Kammy gives the magikoopa a questioning look.

"How much am I supposed to have?"

"As much as you desire, m'lady. Tiger lily has low toxicity and almost no side effects," The magikoopa responds before giving Kammy a little bow, "Do you need anything else from me, m'lady?"

With the teacup still to her mouth, Kammy gives the magikoopa a little headshake. The only thing she desires is some alone time, as that'll give her some extra time to solidify the armies' plans. She also can collaborate with Kamek; her wand should be somewhere-

Her wand! Where is it?! Did it get left back on the battlefield?!

"Wait!" Kammy shrieked at the magikoopa, "My wand! Where in the bloody world is my wand?!"

"It's in the weapons storage area. I'll fetch it for you. Just please try to relax, m'lady."

"Relax? RELAX?! Do you NOT know what's going on here?! We're at WAR!" Kammy shrieked to the point where the frustration caught even her off-guard, "I… Don't know where that came from."

"Perhaps from the tea, m'lady."

"But you stated there were no side effects!"

"I said there were ALMOST no side effects, m'lady."

"… Just get me my wand."

As the magikoopa scurries, the witch lays back down and sighs. She desires to fight alongside her master's kin, but she knows her body will reject the offer. But, she's not throwing in the towel and treating this experience as a form of spa date. Her kingdom's at risk; vermin and apes yearn to destroy the land she grew to respect. The land of her ancestors. The land that supported them for millennia. Her land's at risk, and she refuses to relax while it's threatened. She may not be able to fight alongside the Koopalings just yet, but she at least can contact Kamek and the Koopalings to modify and ratify their current strategy.

Which is why her wand's dear to her.

* * *

Larry breathes in the sweet, flowery air as he steps outside the Toad Town International Airport. From his adventures in the doomship, to Upper Sky Land and the plane, the youngest koopaling's grateful to once again be on solid ground.

Of course, the joy doesn't last long; the castle's still a hefty ten kilometres away, and he has no currency of any kind for a cab. He COULD walk the distance, but he doesn't have much time to burn, especially with the Mushroom Kingdom's advancing armies awaiting an invasion of Dark Land. He could also go coin block hunting, but those almost never exist in urban areas. Instead, he'll have to do what makes the most sense, as he risks being arrested either way…

Not far away, he spots a van-cab pulling over to pick up a passenger. He walks towards the cab, initially not focusing on the cab to avoid suspicion. As he reaches about five metres from the drivers' side door, the cab driver gets out of the van to aid the passenger with lifting her baggage into the van's back hatch.

Taking the opportunity to his advantage, Larry dashes towards the drivers' door, opens it and jumps in. Before the driver or the passenger notices, Larry pulls the van into Drive and zooms towards the street, leaving both the driver and the passenger dazed.

Hatch still open, he drives towards Peach's castle before he notices a sea of flashing lights behind him. Initially stunned by the sirens accompanying the blue-and-red lights, the youngest koopaling regains his composure before making a sharp turn left down a busy street. Through the van's still-open hatch, Larry hears screams as mushroomers sprint towards the sidewalk as he barrels towards them while the sneak blares the van's horn. Only half the police cruisers follow him down the path, once again risking the lives of the mushroomers, and that news doesn't overjoy Larry. He knows how the Mushroom Province Police work; they box in carjackers and other fleeing criminals using their own police cruisers; the other half will meet him from the front, so he risks capture.

Fortunately, the youngest koopaling has a plan B: he won't be able to escape by van, but that doesn't mean he can't escape by foot. Instead, he'll do what Ludwig does best: cause the van's engine to explode. The resulting smoke will be able to camouflage him as he runs away from the scene.

Just as he figured, the other half of the police fleet turn in front of the koopaling. Grinning, Larry opens the van's fuse box and damages the fuse leading to the engine's cooling system before crashing the van into the entrance of a narrow alleyway. Not long after, the fleet surrounds the van, guns in hand.

"Freeze! Hands in the air! Now!"

Larry, his smirk still in place, raises his hands and faces the commanding police officer. From the corner of his eye, he notices the van's smoke growing more potent. The blown fuse now caused the cylinder head gasket to rupture, and from observing Ludwig operating on Mushroom Kingdom-built vans, he knows "the big one" will be coming any second…

"Hey! FREEZE!" the officer commands once again as Larry lowers his hands. The koopaling shakes his head and dashes in front of the van, hiding from view of the police officers, but before the officers can react, the van bursts into flames, letting out a huge plume of smoke and concealing Larry.

"We lost the suspect. Secure all areas within a kilometer perimeter. I repeat, secure all areas within a kilometer perimeter. Consider this carjacker armed and dangerous!" the officer commands in his radio communicator, effectively stumped by the concealing smoke.

Despite his sneakiness, Larry wasn't spared from the explosion either. The bottom of his disguise also caught fire, although due to his reflexes of taking the clothes off, his scales only received minor, first-degree burns at the worst. Despite the pain, he hurries down the alleyway until a door appears on the side. Relieved that the door's unlocked, Larry enters the building.

Unlike the spectacular, modern buildings Toad Town's known for, this building appears to be a former clinic, now abandoned and trashed. Blankets of dust circulate the air for every disturbance Larry causes, causing the koopaling's hay fever to intensify. Wishing to find an antihistamine drug or another type of allergy blocker on top of ointment for his burns, he descends a flight of stairs, leading to an area of abandoned beds.

Or, what appeared to be abandoned…

Larry spots the shape of a figure lying on one of the beds. Curious, he moves towards the figure and lets out a loud gasp.

"W-w-what?!"

On the bed was a man, gagged and tied to the bed, hooked up to IV machines. Sighting Larry, the man's blue eyes widen and he starts trying to break out from his bonds.

Still in denial over who the figure is, Larry first stares at the hospital gown the man's wearing, before turning towards another wall bearing his famous red shirt, red cap and blue overalls. Afterwards, the stunned Larry stares at the man with wide eyes.

"M-Mario?!"

* * *

 


	22. Conflicts

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XXII**

**Conflicts**

* * *

"Mario?!" Larry gasped, confused at the situation. From what he saw, Mario overthrew Peach and usurped the kingdom from her! What is he doing in this abandoned building, tied to a bed?

"Mmmmmphhhh!" Mario replied, still gagged, although anxious to communicate.

Sighing, Larry rips the tape off Mario's mouth, earning a cry from the troubled plumber. Great. He always dreamt of a helpless Mario; he'd better enjoy the chance while it's available.

"Oww! What's your issue?!"

"I ungagged you, and I regret it already. Now shut it; I'll be asking the questions here, and as you're tied up, there's nothing you can do about it," Larry commanded before continuing on, "Tell me, and tell me now. Why are you here?"

"Where even are we?" the dazed plumber questioned, earning a slap across the face from Larry.

"I SAID I'LL be asking the questions here. Do you need more than just a slap to jog your memory? Or will you cooperate?"

Mario stares at Larry, confused. Larry sighs at the expression but continues with interrogating the plumber. Larry needs answers, and he needs them now, for the sake of the kingdom his father runs.

"Why did you overthrow Peach?"

Mario's eyes widen at the question as if he's heard the news for the first time.

"What do you mean?" Mario mumbled, confused at the news the youngest koopaling broke, "I was here for like a week…"

The youngest koopaling knows how to play the clueless game well; he's done it since the first mumblings of his life. As the youngest of seven with a busy father, and a mother he never met, he's received plenty of unpleasant interactions among his elder siblings, particularly Wendy, Iggy and Morton. Revenge on the other Koopalings came as a nasty prank coupled with the same cluelessness Mario's now expressing. Unsatisfied with the plumber's answer, Larry leans closer to Mario's face and glares daggers at him.

"Quit lying. You married Peach, JUST so you can invade Dark Land. Am I right?"

Mario's eyes bulge, and a large gasp escapes him. Exhausted, Larry closes his eyes, bracing for another barrage of excuses.

"No! Someone stole my identity! Trust me, I swear! It happened a few days before the wedding!"

Larry exhales another sigh; Mario won't back away from his narrative—at least not likely. Using his skills as a lying spy, Larry decides to listen to his spiel and point out the flaws.

"Go on…"

"I don't know what happened…" Mario confessed, "But a few days before the wedding, I was shopping around for things. Stuff like food, a new bowtie, a new undershirt—stuff like that. When I went outside, I was whacked unconscious by a magikoopa."

"Magikoopa?" Larry questioned. What is a magikoopa doing in Toad Town, of all places? As far as Larry knows, Bowser didn't command any magikoopa to go there either.

"Yes, a magikoopa. Dark purple, almost black robes. I don't know if that makes any difference."

Larry ponders on the description. Every magikoopa soldier's colour-coded by their abilities; red being attackers, green being boosters, white being healers, purple being those trained in dark magic, blue being the magikoopa leaders, and some other colours for more specific specificities, but near-black isn't a valid colour in the ranking system.

"That colour isn't a rank, so the magikoopa either was high-ranking, as in like, Dad's second-in-command of the Magikoopas, or Kamek and Kammy, or the magikoopa rebelled from the Troop…" Larry pondered, "Which means either we have a rebel at hand, or you're just a lying sack of compost, as King Dad didn't order any takeover. The takeover was from Ludwig, who has no authority over the magikoopas."

"I swear, this is the truth!" Mario promised before continuing on, "Anyway, I regained consciousness in this building, on this exact cot. The magikoopa approached me and stated something along the lines of 'the prophesy has come, for I will control both the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land!' or something. The magikoopa then cloned me, like a duplighost."

Despite a red flag going off in Larry's head—magikoopas cannot transform themselves in the same way duplighosts can—the koopa spy's been observing Mario's body language. From bodily actions, Larry's able to decipher whether the person speaks the truth or is lying. He's seen Mario lie before; it's pathetic at best.

"I never thought I'd ever say this, but I actually believe you."

Mario's eyes widen at Larry's approval before stammering, but the koopaling held up his hand.

"Don't get too charmed, plumber. I only do because you're a terrible liar. You're too pathetic to be a 'bad' guy like we are."

Mario, for once thankful to a koopa, breathes a sigh of relief. He cares for the Kingdom; he knows its current path will not be healthy in the long run. War will devastate the Mushroom Kingdom's global trade and conquering Dark Land will only eat up more of the country's resources. Plus, the red plumber knows Larry's not exactly thrilled with the current progress either.

"Does Dark Land know?" Mario questioned, "We all can work together until this… imposter of me is out of power. But first, I need to be untied."

Although a side of Larry suspects a sort of fishiness throughout recent events, the youngest koopa unties Mario's hands beneath the cot, followed by his legs tied to the cot's legs. He removes—more like rips out—the IV needles connected to Mario, resulting in a shriek.

"Quiet!" Larry hissed, fishiness and distrust running through him still, "Yes, Dark Land knows! My older siblings are heading to Jewelry Land, probably to get my dad and Peach. Maybe Jewelry Land will also ally with us."

"We need to help them then-"

Before the plumber can even finish his sentence, Larry, still firm on the original plan, cuts him off.

"We can't; not directly. We have to rig the Mushroom Kingdom from the inside in order to weaken the kingdom. In fact, with your help, it'll be even easier. People think YOU are the leader."

"Are you sure about this? Dark Land plans aren't known for holding straight."

"Yes! This plan's from Kamek, not Dad! We got-"

From upstairs, Larry and Mario hear a door burst open followed by several thundering footsteps. Initially caught off-guard, Larry puts his hands behind his back.

"Aww crud, the police are here! Quick, Mario! Grab my wrists! Take me to Peach's prison in the castle basement and tell them to ignore security! I have a plan to distract them!"

"Grab your wrists? But-"

"SHUT UP AND DO IT! I know what I'm doing! It's a way to get me into the Castle as Kamek said I can't use magic to get in!"

Mario grabs Larry's wrists as the police storm downstairs, guns drawn. While they give Larry a menacing glare, their gazes warm as they sight Mario, and bow to him.

"Your Majesty!" the police captain apologized, "We are terribly sorry, but there's a fugitive on the loose! He tried to steal a van, and from our surveillance, it appears he was headed towards the Castle!"

Mario nods his head, pretending to understand the circumstances before barking orders.

"Then get out of here and find him! The Castle always needs to be protected from intruders! Also, arrest this pathetic koopaling spy and take him to the Mushroom Castle basement jail cells! I'll handle security after, so don't worry about that! He's too dangerous of a spy for conventional guards."

The police captain salutes Mario before pulling out handcuffs and turning Larry around. As Larry faces Mario, the koopaling winks at Mario, resulting in the plumber giving a small grin in response.

"Move on, move on!" the captain commanded, "You heard the King!"

As the police force stampedes out, taking Larry with them, concern begins to well up in Mario.

"I hope, for the sake of everything, that Larry knows what he's doing… And I hope Peach and the others are okay…"

* * *

Hours ago, the Dark Land Fleet resumed its journey towards Jewelry Land. By now, they're over the ocean, and the three koopalings and their captains search for any Mushroom-oriented vessels within the dark blue abyss. To Roy's annoyance, the PA system's now functioning, and Ludwig's voice blasts throughout his cockpit instructing the others on the Mushroom Kingdom's naval and air fleets.

Roy and Ludwig always had beef with each other ever since they knew each other. Neither fully know how such relations began and both want to end it, but whenever one side tries, the other only escalates the feud. Their same personality traits combined with different interests also proves an obstacle. Roy loves power, but so does Ludwig. However, while Roy respects physical strength, Ludwig prefers intelligence. Also, combined with the position of Crown Prince and his claim of being the family's Alpha Male, Ludwig never considers any other ideas but his own.

"Roy," the PA system erupts, snapping Roy out of his thoughts, "ROY!"

"Ugh, what, Kooky?"

"Did you listen to me at all, Roy?"

"Naw. Why would I do somethin' insane like dat, man?"

Much to his content, the koopaling hears an overdramatic sigh escaping from the speakers. Yes, Roy should put aside his personal vendettas and instead focus on the purpose of this voyage. After all, the Koopa Kingdom—his lifestyle—are at risk. However, Ludwig's moodiness and bossiness makes burying the hatchet less pleasant.

"Listen to me. Quit being a child and, vhatever grudge you have against me, stow it. Teamvork here's vital. Zat goes for you too, Morton."

"Yeah yeah. Bite me, Kooky," Roy murmured, rolling his eyes to the point where he may have seen his brain.

"Vatch out, Roy!" A different tone rings through Ludwig's command; it wasn't one of bossiness or disgust, but rather fear and concern. While aware of the change, Roy assumes it's due to the previous statement he muttered.

"What ya gonna do, Lug? Tell King D-"

"NO, ROY! VATCH OUT!" Ludwig cried, "LOOK BEHIND YOU! You're being attacked!"

Roy's heart drops as he views his rear camera's footage: dozens of bullet bills greet him, threatening to home in on the doomship's stern and starboard. The sirens' sickening echoes, coupled with flashing red lights, ring throughout the doomship, preventing Roy from collecting himself and thinking logically. A slew of curses leaves the koopaling's mouth as he maintains a vise grip onto the airship's steering wheel.

Despite his now-sweaty palms begging for relief from the wheel, Roy turns the wheel counterclockwise, resulting in a left turn too sharp for the bills to handle. As the bills attempt to respond to the sudden change in trajectory, two of the leading bills collide, resulting in an explosion powerful enough to destroy the other bills. The blast also shakes Roy's doomship, although the ship took no noticeable damage. He looks back in his rear-view: several other doomships within his fleet avoid their shares of bullet bills; all appear intact.

"Shit…" Roy gasped in a fear-filled, thicker-than-usual accent. He attempts to slow down his breathing and heart rate, "Da hell was dat?"

"I… I don't know…" Ludwig responded, appearing more collected despite the fear and the thicker accent still ringing in his voice, "But Morton undt I vere also attacked not long after you vere, but novhere near zee number of bills you had."

"We needa take it dere with dem," Roy concluded, "Dey mad trippin', man."

"Okay, so..." Morton drawled as he notices a handful of the Mushroom Kingdom's ships below them, "Can someone who can, y'know, actually _speak normally_ tell me what we're gonna do about those ships below us?"

Roy and Ludwig, however, ignore their younger brother's butting into the conversation.

"Zey are, undt ve need to stop zem. But honestly, I'm relieved zat you avoided zem."

Roy's eyes bulge, taken aback from the comment. Did he just receive well-blessings from LUDWIG, of all people? Roy hasn't seen this side of his elder brother directed at him for years. Of course, Roy's guard remains high; Ludwig can switch back to his pain-in-the-rear self within the next few minutes, but he can still enjoy him while this side lasts.

"Wow. Ya'kay, Lug? Ya went soft."

"Surely, I did," Ludwig's voice floods the PA system again, his thick accent replaced with a tone of annoyance, "As much of an imbecile zat you are, you're still my kin, and more importantly, vun of my partners on zis voyage. Plus, I can make you admit anyzing also, Roy."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Dat won't happen."

"Are you discombobulated, Roy?"

"Discom-what?" Roy questioned, "I'm confused."

"I rest my case," Ludwig smirks, "Now, quit vith ze soppiness and let's focus on ze mission at hand."

Roy nods his head, for once agreeing with Ludwig's position. Unfortunately for the duo, their younger brother couldn't resist adding his own input.

"Are you two done doing the lovey-dovey talk with each other?" Morton questioned, "Because I usually see less disturbing conversations in cyber chat rooms and cam sites on the Koopa Web."

While Roy gags at the thought of Morton participating in such activities, Ludwig's more-pronounced composure allows him to ask what Roy couldn't.

"… Vhat are you doing in zose detestable settings, Morton? Zose are disgusting domains saturated vith stalkers, perverts and catfishers."

"I run and invest in many of them. What better way to make money than fish it out from desperate, depraved, degenerate losers? But that's none of your business," Morton replied nonchalantly, "But, what IS your business is the fact that we're FLYING OVER ARMED MUSHROOM KINGDOM SHIPS AS I LITERALLY MENTIONED TWO MINUTES AGO!"

"... Scheiße!" Ludwig curses as he monitors the ships. These aren't simple battleships, as he hoped; as powerful as the Mushroom Kingdom's battleships are, they never fare well against any aircraft due to the battleships' offenses. The Banzai Bills they shoot out, while destructive and devastating to any object unfortunate enough to cross its path, travel too slow to pose a significant risk to any alert pilot.

Rather, five Mushroom Brigade Carriers float beneath them, each capable of housing dozens of the Mushroom Kingdom Air Force's aircraft. From seeking more inspiration for improving the doomships, the eldest koopaling's quite familiar with the aircraft E. Gadd created for the Air Force: they each have four engines, an excessive yaw velocity and built-in missile launchers. The Royal Air Fleet also house airshrooms: flying mushroom-shaped aircraft built with the invention he fears the most: a controllable Super Scope.

Morton, unacquainted with the machinery unlike Ludwig, still expresses concern. He's never been involved in an air battle, while both Ludwig and Roy have. Sure, he fought Mario INSIDE his doomship several times, and he did utilize the doomship's weapons during such attempts, but he's never shot at an opposing aircraft using the doomship's long-range missiles.

Roy remains stone-faced, not manifesting an ounce of worry. Roy and Mario fought each other in aircraft during the time he took over Jewelry Land, and thus spots familiarity with the super scope and its weaknesses. For one, a super blast takes at least ten seconds to charge up, and anything weaker than that won't do much more than make a dent in the doomship's built-in forcefield. And two, even when the Super Scope shoots out a super blast, it's not homing.

While he never thought twice about other previous battles, being the last Koopaling Mario fought during their Jewelry Land takeover made Roy ponder how he lost. He felt as if he let his family down; he never wanted to feel that guilt again. And now, being in the situation once more, Roy realizes how the threat must be dealt with. Offense doesn't matter in the long term, but rather stealth.

"... Vell zen," Ludwig recomposed himself, "Ve need to deal vith zose before zey get to Jewelry Land."

"I dealt with da Super Scope in da air before," Roy spoke, "And da reason I lost was 'cus I was too focused on damagin' Mario. We need to move, we need to be quick, and we need to avoid everythin' dey fire at us."

"I can agree vith zat. Vhenever I fought him in ze sky or over cliffs, he tended to fall to his… 'death'."

The developing plan between his two elder brothers brings a sense of comfort to Morton. So, all they need to do is avoid, and not aim? He can do that. Easily.

"Okay…" Morton sighed, ready but still unsure, "But… Uhh… If I die, I'm haunting you two! Forever! I swear!"

Ignoring the comment, Ludwig continues observing the ships. Little grey moving specks litter the otherwise-black runway; presumably the fighter jets. The Mushroom Kingdom's Air Royal Fleet may strike anytime now; the Dark Land's Air Fleet needs to be ready.

The eldest koopaling switches the PA system from only broadcasting to Roy and Morton to now broadcasting to the entire fleet before issuing commands.

"Fire up ze lasers and activate your forcefields! Ve have danger approaching! Hold off on ze bullet bills unless needed!"

Following his own commandments, Ludwig opens the 'combat controls' compartment of his dashboard then pushes a purple button to activate the force field before pressing an orange one, assumed to be the power button for the lasers.

Hearing the declaration of war, Kamek rushes into the cockpit, wand in hand. The magikoopa stretches and yawns, seeming to have woken up.

"Master Ludwig, sir, I'm ordering all magikoopas to focus on defense."

"Good; zat's exactly vhat I vant," Ludwig nods, "Actually, please have a group man ze lasers, but keep ze rest on defense. Zat vill be fantastic."

Kamek gives Ludwig a thumbs-up before activating the communication portion of his wand. As his sky-blue-tipped wand morphs into a dark-purple tinge, the lead magikoopa starts issuing commands.

"Attention, magikoopas and toadies! Reds, focus on offenses by operating the lasers! Greens, focus on buffing the doomships' defenses you're in. Whites, make sure everyone is safe and heal both them and the doomships when needed! Purples, help the Reds by charging the lasers with dark magic! Blues, make sure everyone's doing their roles, and make sure your doomship won't collapse! Now, everyone, get to work!"

Kamek pockets his wand as he and Ludwig notice the commotion present in their doomship, followed by lasers being fired from their doomship. In the distance, he notices a fighter jet flying towards him, shooting missiles that the force field repels. The weakened forcefield quivers and Ludwig's green-robed magikoopas repair the forcefield's magic. Meanwhile, Ludwig faces the doomship towards the jet and fires lasers at it. With the buff the red-robed and purple-robed magikoopas provided, three laser beams strike the jet before it crashes towards the ocean.

"Make sure your magikoopas are doing vork, guys," Ludwig announced, "Kamek's vith me and he's attempting to organize zem."

"Roger!" Morton reaffirmed before he spots an airshroom in his peripheral vision. He turns his focus to the airshroom and notices yellow sparks surrounding the shroom, "Watch out! Super Scope airshroom's charging up!"

The airshroom shoots a large blast towards the doomship fleet, in which the alert Morton and his fleet avoid by lowering their doomships. Although caught up in fighting with a fighter jet, Roy avoids the blast in the nick of time; the super scope's blast only scorching the doomship's tail while his fleet remains unharmed. Only sustaining minor damage, Roy's green-robed magikoopas repair the tail with ease before repairing the forcefield.

"It looks like da super scope's energy goes through da forcefields," Roy concluded.

"Vhat..." Ludwig drawled, "How?! Ze doomships are supposed to be immune to ze super scope blasts! Someone must've engineered zese super scopes to bypass zat!"

"So, someone stole your technology?" Morton wondered, "Who?"

"I'm unsure, but ve need to be careful. Ve have a Mole somevhere."

"Focus less on dat and more on da scopes," Roy dismissed.

"Yes, it's best not to rely on ze forcefields zen. Treat forcefields like ze last option," Ludwig replied as he shoots down another fighter jet, "But ve need to treat zis like ants, brozzers. If you vant to kill a colony, you don't kill ze stray ants; you kill ze queen."

"So... Attack the carriers?" Morton questioned.

"Precisely. Just keep vatch for ze super scopes. Here, you two distract zem and take care of ze stragglers; my fleet and I will bombard ze ships."

On command, Morton and Roy fire their lasers at the fighter jets and airshrooms that they saw, all whilst avoiding both the jets' bullets and the airshrooms' super scope charges. As an airshroom's super scope recharges, Morton shoots it down, resulting in the mushroom-shaped aircraft crashing into the ocean and its toad pilots ejecting. On his side, Roy destroys the fighter jets threatening Ludwig while Morton continues slaughtering the airshrooms.

Ludwig remains docile while his two younger siblings slaughter the fighter jets. About ten minutes into his inactivity, Ludwig notices the jets turn their attention from him to Roy, while four superscope-equipped airshrooms attempt to destroy Morton's air fleet. Smirking, Ludwig commands his air fleet through the PA system; now's go time.

"Doomships! Launch your bullet bills at the carriers!" the eldest koopaling commanded as he smashes a red button. A bullet bill launches from each of his four launchers, the quartet flying unchallenged towards a carrier. As the four make contact, the carrier explodes.

Noticing the massive orange-and-yellow explosion, the confused fighter jets pause from the fight with Roy, resulting in the burly koopaling shooting them down with ease. The Mushroom Kingdom solders on the four unsunk carriers scramble on their runways, eager to enter their jets and airshrooms. Ludwig smirks as a doomship in his fleet launches its bullet bills into two other carriers, causing them to explode.

"Three down, two to go! Zis is impeccable combat!" Ludwig announced in the PA, this time also broadcasting to Roy and Morton, "Keep it up, guys!"

Morton nods as he flies towards another airshroom. The airshroom points its scope at Morton and starts charging it. However, Morton's eyes widen as he witnesses green energy gathering towards the scope, rather than yellow. Within milliseconds, a massive green plasma cloud launches from the airshroom at a breakneck speed and towards Morton. Stunned over the development and lacking the time to maneuver, Morton's unable to move.

The plasma smashes into his doomship.

Alarms blare and red lights flash as Morton feels his doomship dropping from the air and towards the sea. Panicking, the koopaling commands his magikoopas to repair the ship, but it was too late; his doomship smashes into the water, creating a wave large enough to destabilize the remaining carriers.

"MORTON!" Roy cried as he avoids another jet attempting to home in on him.

"Ve need to rescue him, Roy!"

"And how will we do dat, Kooky?!"

"Get a ship down zere. Vhat else? Use your mind, Roy!" Ludwig snapped, "I'm trying to get zese carriers!"

"And I'm being kamikazed by dese damn jets, and so is Morton's fleet!"

A yellow plasma ball soars towards Ludwig, who dives out of the plasma's trajectory. Unfazed, the eldest koopaling turns towards the PA system.

"Quit being an entitled infant and get a ship down zere! You know not every ship's under siege!" Ludwig commanded.

"And YOU don't need all dem ships shootin' at da carrier! All my ships are bein' attacked!" Roy shouted back.

"I do need zem!"

"It takes one ship to shoot a damn bullet bill! You're pathetic if you need more, Kooky!"

"Vhat?! Ships need to conceal ze shooter, imbecile!"

"Dude! Da hell are you sayin'? We're lurin' all da damn jets to us! You don't need ships protecting you! You're so pathetic, Kooky! Eat shit!" Roy argued.

"Very mature, Roy. You're ze vun zrowing tantrums about us two vorking as a team. Grow up and do vhat's best for everyvun, cretin. Your demeanor reflects you as an unequivocally small-minded mass of existential impotence vith an ego of a ludicrous, acidly, acrimonious delinquent who has delusions of adequacy."

As Ludwig utters his rebuttal, the airshroom that attacked Morton launches another green plasma ball towards Roy. Ludwig cringes as he spots a massive explosion in Roy's trajectory, followed by Roy's doomship crashing towards the ocean. The eldest koopaling bows his head as he hears Roy's frightened swearing from the intercom, followed by his line cutting dead as his doomship creates another wave in the ocean.

"Verdammt! Roy!" Ludwig cried, regretting the argument they had just moments before. Focus back on the task at hand, a sudden anger roars through Ludwig. They shot down his two brothers, and now they must be defeated, "Everyvun, focus on provoking ze jets and ze airshrooms. Now!"

As the doomships provoke the jets, Ludwig does a final surge towards the carrier and launches eight bullet bills, four bills to each carrier. Before the jets and the airshrooms focus on Ludwig, the carriers went up in flames; all five carriers now sinking towards the ocean bottom. Noticing their means of survival now gone, the jets and airshrooms retreat towards the Mushroom Kingdom, trying to avoid the lasers that the Dark Land Air Fleet launches at them.

Ludwig heaves; Jewelry Land's invasion from the Mushroom Kingdom's Royal Air Fleet failed, but Morton, Roy and their crewmates need to be found. The eldest koopaling's worried; he wanted to see his brothers again, even if he couldn't stand them. He didn't want his last words to Roy be a quarrel, nor does he want Roy's literal last word at him be... Such vulgar language.

Kamek, meanwhile, stares at Ludwig with a hopeful look.

"While you were fighting, I sent toadies to search for Morton, and they'll find Roy," the wizard informed, "I honestly believe they'll be okay. I... I just feel it."

Relief floods Ludwig's face, and the eldest koopaling flashes a small smile at Kamek; due to their close relationship – Kamek did raise him after all – the koopaling trusts the words and advice from the magikoopa.

"A zousand zank yous, Kamek," Ludwig thanked, "And I hope you're right in your analysis..."

* * *

Although the characters couldn't tell from the cave, nighttime befalls Jewelry Land, and both Luigi and Daisy attempt to receive some shut-eye. Sitting nearest to the miniature waterfall, Bowser perks up as he hears faint echoes of bats flapping their wings, while their more audible squeaks sends shivers coursing through him and Peach.

"So... There are bats," Bowser whispered.

Peach nods as she observes the slumbering Daisy and Luigi on the other side of the cave, cuddling each other. Although the action may have been a result of subconscious desires for warmth – Luigi's too shy to initiate such scenes while Daisy prefers showing a romance-hating tomboy demeanor in public, although she's much different in private settings – the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom knows full well the bond between them.

For the dozenth time in this journey, she questioned her bond with Mario. She knows it's dead and gone by this point, but even during their heyday, did her bond with him _thrive?_ Or did it just survive, holding and feasting only on dissipating hope?

She smiles as she recalls the trips she took with Mario to the same places she was taken to during her kidnappings. From the bubbly Soda Lake in Dinosaur Land to many of the Mushroom Kingdom's hottest resorts, she enjoyed them all. However, the princess frowns as she remembers Mario's demeanor: he didn't open up to her. Rather, the red-clad plumber remained alert, closed off and unwilling to delve deeper in romance. She then realizes: as a princess, Mario acts more like a chivalrous knight around her than Prince Charming. He wasn't there to love her romantically, but rather to show commitment, duty and respect.

The bond didn't die. It also didn't survive.

The bond just never existed.

Still deep in thought, a throat clearing forces Peach into reality. Now alert, the princess stares at Bowser, who through the fire's orange glow, expresses concern.

"What's up with you?"

Peach remains silent, unwilling to share her disappointing revelations with him. She sighs as she turns her attention back towards Luigi and Daisy, who both remain cuddled by the dying flames. She relates the fire to the flame of love, supposedly burning in every married individual's bosom. The flame that gave them warmth, comfort and a sense of belonging – three characteristics vanishing from her as her love for Mario withers.

Deep in her thoughts again, she snaps back to reality when she feels a presence next to her. She looks towards her left and spots Bowser sitting next to her, his gaze also following the struggling fire. The emotions she could once interpret now rush throughout her; sickening battles among disgust, abhorrence, love and lust course through her. Everything she thought she knew crash beside her feet, their brittle foundations giving way to the newfound emotions' crashing waves. She wants to stand up, distance herself from Bowser and to ponder these cascading events, but she also desires more of his presence.

"Is this about Mario?" the koopa inquired.

Peach exhales at Bowser's mentioning of her former love's name, "Look. Everything's screwed up, and it's more than just Mario. If this happened when I was by myself, it'd be easy. It'd be so easy, Bowser. But you had to come along and make things a nightmare."

"What?" Bowser questioned.

"I know Mario doesn't love me romantically. He only cares for me. From his questioning awkwardness whenever I kissed him after being rescued by him, to our vacations where he didn't open up, he shown it all along. He did things out of duty, not out of love. I was just too stupid to realize it until now."

Peach notices Bowser's posture shifting as he turns his stare from the fire to her.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Because you make everything confusing," Peach unleashes another exhale, "First, you were an archenemy. I always saw you as one. But then your Koopalings kidnapped me and I spent that time in your castle. From your handling of them to our tour through that hall with all your family pictures, I saw another side of you that I never saw before. I saw someone who tried, albeit in questionable ways, to provide his family something that money couldn't buy. I saw someone persistent; someone who never gave up. That only solidified when we talked by the lake and I first noticed your true feelings for me and your intentions. I was feeling the same, but I felt too awkward to confess them, but when you were hurt during our fight with Totomesu, I was, for the first time in our history, scared for you. I was afraid of losing you. It wasn't until then that I noticed my own feelings."

Bowser stares at Peach, wide-eyed at her confessions. Peach smiles as she stares into his red eyes; his typical fierce glare she learned to fear only bears one of openness and love, traits she never observed from Mario.

"So..." the koopa king drawled.

"I think..." Peach sighed before she lays her head on Bowser's thigh.

"Oh... Oh!" Bowser replied, his face turning red as he puts an arm around Peach, "So I'm guessing that you'll be fine sleeping on me this time?"

"Just don't stab me with your spikes!" the princess admitted, resulting in the koopa smirking.

"Yep, can't have those two over there see you skewered."

Peach moves her head to better spot Luigi and Daisy, who remain cuddling. By this time, the fire's downgraded to only a pit of glowing embers, although still providing warmth in the otherwise dank cave.

"Oh great... Now Daisy and Luigi will tease us!" Peach giggled.

Bowser adds to her laughter as he stares back at the cuddling duo, "Who cares! They tease us already! Just look at them! We'll just tease those lovebirds back!"

Peach smiles as she continues resting her head on Bowser's leg. She knows she has more to fear than just Luigi and Daisy. Her kingdom – rather, the kingdom that's rightfully hers – will not accept a romantic relationship with their sworn archenemy. Even if she takes over as princess again, she will need to rebuild the trust of all her denizens, else they'll rebel against her rule.

Despite such consequences, she finds more comfort in being around Bowser than she would be ruling alone or even with Mario. The situation may be tough, but the finest diamonds come from the most high-pressure situations. She wants this to work and she has the desire to make it possible, even if the process takes years of intense pain.


	23. Jailbreak

* * *

**Shards of Love: REDUX!**

* * *

**Shard III: Alliances**

With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.

* * *

**Chapter XXIII**

**Jailbreak**

* * *

Larry observes his surroundings. Neither a rocky wall nor barred gates greet him, but rather a lush lavender field much like the field he spotted leaving Dark Land. Being a fan of vegetation-condensed areas, he desires to run through the field, but he realizes his feet aren't touching the ground.

The youngest koopaling looks down in confusion. Is this a dream, or did he get sent to some strange reality?

Larry shrugs before reaching down and touching a flower, but he's also unable to grasp onto the plant. That confirms it; he doesn't know where he is, but he's not in the reality he's accustomed to.

"I don't get it… What does this me-"

As he questions his surroundings, a haboob-like gust of wind sweeps the field, the fine solid particles in the air consuming all visibility and much of the sunlight. The lavender Larry attempted to touch now shrivels away, replaced only by barrenness. Not long after, the dust consumes every straggling ray from the Sun, turning the already-bleak setting into one of complete darkness. In the total blindness, Larry pinpoints the faint cry of 'The prophecy has come!' in the howling wind.

As quick as the wind came, it dies down, resulting in the particles falling back down to earth. As the Sun's rays light up the scene, Larry notices the once-beautiful landscape now appears as a charred, ruinous wasteland.

-x-x-

Larry awakes with a start, perplexed by his dream. He appreciates gardens, but why would he dream of a lavender field being destroyed, especially when he requires more enlightenment on the current task at hand?

Brushing the concerns off, the youngest koopaling instead focuses on his surroundings. He's in a maximum-security prison somewhere within Peach's Castle, although he's unsure where. No guards patrol the room, but security cameras dot the corners and the ceiling.

He observes the less-impressive features of his cell: a hay-stuffed sack masquerading as a bed, a broom to clean his own cell, a latrine acting as his own relief station and some rubber gloves to also clean that, all caged in by a prison door with thick metal bars. He smells the dingy dungeon air; no doubt the prison's dealing with uncontrolled mold growth.

"Psst! Hey!"

Larry's taken aback by a character loitering in the one section of the room he failed to study. In a prison cell to his left appears a barred window into the adjoining cell, occupied by a shorter, old man donning swirly glasses and a dirtied lab coat.

"E. Gadd?!" Larry inquired, "No way! Aren't you on the enemy's side?"

"I was, youngster! I developed and improved many of the weapons they have, including the Ultra Scope," E. Gadd confessed, "But I thought I was helping a legit Mario, not a fake!"

"So, you helped destroy Dark Land…"

"Hey, it's not like we're exactly allies!" E. Gadd mentioned, "But I do wish we can start this over. I never knew my inventions would be used for evil."

"You still have a chance to right the wrong, old koot," Larry informed, "I just need your help."

Intrigued, E. Gadd stands up and strolls closer towards the window to Larry's cage. In response, Larry points to one of the many security cameras present in the room.

"Security cameras. I'm familiar with avoiding them, but I'm guessing you're familiar with knowing what they're made of. Can you tell me about their lenses?"

"Well… They're delicate."

Larry, anticipating a more in-depth answer, rolls his eyes. E. Gadd must've noticed the koopaling's disappointment, as he explained himself further.

"First off, they're closed-circuit, and while closed-circuit cameras are better for overall storage and lower energy use, if one of them gets removed, the entire system shuts down. Second, their lenses are made from fluorspar in order to produce high-resolution video."

Larry grins at the answer. Fluorspar; exactly what he wanted. He needs to obtain a security camera, not only to obtain the lens, but also to disable to system.

"We need to get a camera then. Any useful items over there?"

"I have, uhh… A brick, some electricians' tape they forgot to confiscate from me, a broom, a pipette from my lab that they also forgot about, a plate, a plastic cup and a tray from my last meal."

Smirk in place, Larry approaches E. Gadd's window, "I have an idea. Gimme the plate, then after, tape the tray onto your broom."

E. Gadd gives Larry a thumbs-up before pulling out a roll of electricians' tape from his lab coat pocket. He places the center of the tray onto the broom handle and fuses them with five layers of tape.

"The fluorspar from the camera lens will mix with the sulfuric acid found in the camera's battery, and if we have added energy, it'll produce hydrofluoric acid, which we can then use to melt the bars."

"And that should work!" E. Gadd praised, "Because the only metals completely immune to hydrofluoric acid are-"

"Platinum and gold," Larry nodded, recalling the dozens of times Ludwig and Iggy taught him about corrosive acids, "And we know these obviously aren't from platinum or gold."

"Nor from silver, nickel and copper, which also show immunity, up to a point," the old scientist continued, "And from the rust on here, these bars are iron-based. Iron's weak to corrosive materials, especially when the iron's rusted."

"Yes," Larry nods as he scopes the scene, determining which camera will be the most ideal to snatch. Spotting one on the ceiling about a few meters away from E. Gadd, the youngest koopaling commands E. Gadd to lift the tray towards the camera.

"This one?" the old man guides the tray-taped broom until the tray rests underneath the camera, "Like this?"

"Perfect. Just hold it still now."

As E. Gadd holds the broom steady, Larry takes his broom and rams it into the camera. Now dislodged from its resting place, the camera falls, landing on the tray with a thud.

"Yabba yabba, great work!" E. Gadd cheers as he pulls the tray towards his cell, grabs the camera then brings the tray back in, "Are you able to continue? I confess, my chemistry knowledge isn't as honed as my inventing and mechanical engineering."

"Sure. Just separate the battery and the lens from the rest of it."

E. Gadd places the camera on the tray and gingerly removes the lens before removing a cartridge housing the battery. With care, the old professor hands the two items to Larry through the barred window.

The two ingredients in hand, Larry covers the hole in his latrine with the plate, then sets the lens on it before picking up the battery and forcing the cap off. He pours the acid onto the lens and disposes of the battery casing. Now, all they need is heat to combine the two.

The koopaling smirks; being a dragon-koopa, he shouldn't have any problems providing fire.

Larry takes a deep breath then lets out a strong exhale. Confusion written on his face, Larry breathes in and out again. Meanwhile, E. Gadd stares at Larry, concerned with the developing behaviour.

"You okay, youngster? You sick?"

Larry does one last breath before managing to exhale a sigh.

"No. I…" the youngest koopaling sighs again, "I can't breathe fire. All my other siblings can, but not me. They all were able to when they were like 9. I'm 13 and I still can't."

E. Gadd looks down, feeling a seed of sorrow for the koopaling. Of course, any other time, he'd be ecstatic to witness a koopa unable to breathe fire, but currently when fire's the difference between life and death, E. Gadd understands Larry's wanting to portray himself as a hero.

"Okay, a secret for you," Larry admitted, "I just hate feeling inadequate or useless because I'm the youngest, or because I never knew Mom. My siblings always gave me a hard time stating that I'm useless because of my age. That's one reason I took up spying."

"Well," E. Gadd giggled, "The spying you do quite well at, and the Mushroom Kingdom knows that."

"Yeah? I purposely sent myself here, and I can't even get out because of my stupid limitations. How great of a spy am I now?" Larry challenged, "I'm talking to myself here. This is maybe the first time I ever went to the Mushroom Kingdom with no solid plan because of... The happenings. It's too strange to me."

"Don't worry, youngster! Your ability will come!" E. Gadd consoled, resulting in Larry nodding his head, although still down, "We will also burst out of here, as I have a Plan B. Remember when all those laptops and phones were catching on fire?"

"Oh yeah!" Larry perks up, familiar with battery short-circuiting. Many times, Ludwig's inventions exploded due to mistakes with the batteries such as using a lithium-ion battery instead of an alkaline battery, "But this battery I destroyed is lead-acid, and even if it combusts, we still need the acid in it."

"Wrong, my dear pupil. You see, I told a little fib about shutting down the systems if a camera's removed," E. Gadd admitted, "That battery's only a back-up to the main battery. But, in my defense, my fib is partially true, in which the signals cannot reach the central computer without all primary batteries up and functioning. They aren't coordinated when that happens. Instead, the video's only stored in the camera itself."

"… I'll only forgive you, old man, if you provide something useful with that explanation."

"Yes, yes," E. Gadd replied before chipping off another cartridge and handing it to an annoyed Larry, "This is a lithium-ion battery. If we short-circuit this, it'll catch on fire and produce enough heat to cause a reaction between the sulfuric acid and the fluorspar."

"And what's the best way to short-circuit this without any machines?" Larry questioned.

"Simple. The separator between the lithium cobalt oxide and the graphite needs to dissipate. Put a nail through it to accomplish that. Here's a screw from the camera, and here's the brick I have."

Larry shrugs before taking the screw and the brick from E. Gadd. He places the battery on the counter by his latrine before hovering the screw over its center and hammering it into the device. As the screw pierces the battery, dark smoke emits from the battery before the koopaling feels the produced heat.

"Now, young one, just place that battery by the plate, or under it, and we'll be good to go!"

Larry places the sputtering battery under the plate; within seconds, flames burst from the latrine and surrounds the plate. The plate's contents sizzle before they combine, forming a clear liquid.

"That's a new definition for blowing up the toilet..." Larry expressed as he wipes the developing sweat from his forehead, "So, the acid's made. Do you have anything I can use to scoop it up?"

"I have one of my pipettes. It's from one of the hardy plastics, so the acid shouldn't corrode it," E. Gadd replied as he digs the device from his lab coat and hands it to Larry, "While I did say I didn't have much chemistry experience, that doesn't mean I don't do it."

"Right," Larry stated before placing the pipette's tip into the acid and sucks up about two milliliters of it. Careful not to spill any on his scales, the youngest koopaling taps the pipette on the latrine, resulting in excess hydrofluoric acid sinking into the latrine and corrupting the metal on its way down. Larry carries the pipette towards the lock mechanism on his prison cell door and squirts some acid into the keyhole, and the rest onto each hinge. From the mechanism, Larry hears a sizzling noise coming from the reaction, "Now we just need to wait a few minutes."

"Stellar, Young'un!" E. Gadd applauded before requesting, "Give this old man some, please."

The youngest koopaling nods before scooping another 2 milliliters of acid for E. Gadd, flings the excess into the latrine, and hands it to him. The old scientist accepts the pipette before also squirting the acid into his keyhole and the two hinges.

Meanwhile, the noise within Larry's lock mechanism quiets down. The koopaling smirks; the acid's done its job, and now he must do his. He backs up from the gate and towards his latrine before making a dash towards the cell door and kicks it down. To his relief, the door flies off its unattached hinge from the force and crashes just feet from the opposing wall.

"Bingo!" E. Gadd cheered before he kicks down his cell door, albeit in a much lighter fashion. Despite the smaller force, the door smashes into the floor and the scientist hops over the gate.

"We need to get out of here and see what's happening!" Larry rushed as the duo sprint towards the prison's exit, only to be greeted by a password-based lock.

"We just hit a snag... Do we need to acid this too?"

"Maybe," Larry replied as he awakens the machine and hits the PASSWORD button.

"Say the password, now," the machine replied as its screen flashes yellow.

"Uhh... Mario Rules?"

"Invalid password. Try again," the machine teased the koopaling's guess as its screen flashes red.

E. Gadd gives Larry a questioning look while the youngest koopaling scratches his head, pondering. In his thoughts, he recalls the earlier dream of the strange lavender field turning into darkness. Albeit insignificant, Larry also recalls the words whispered to him. Could this be something of use?

Larry shrugs; he might as well attempt to use that phrase as the password. He presses the PASSWORD button again and the machine starts flashing yellow.

"Say the password, now," the machine repeated.

"The Prophecy Has Come!" Larry voiced.

The machine's screen flashes green as it replies, "Password approved!" Larry grins as he opens the door while E. Gadd gives him a shocked expression.

"How'd you know the password?" the scientist gasped at the smiling koopa.

"Uhh, let's just say it's a long story," Larry replied before peeking into the pink-themed hallway, "Now follow my lead. We need to see what's up with everything, and we can't be caught. Our first goal's meeting with the real Mario."

* * *

The northern portion of Pipe Land lay in ruins as the Mushroom Kingdom's armies retreat from the section, either towards Desert Land or to Dark Land. The small town's streets, once bustling with shopping, gossiping toads now only host soldiers fighting for their allegiance. The beautiful architecture's reduced to crumbled buildings, their elegant-colored walls now dotted with blood. Smoke rises from the destruction, but the wind prevents it from obscuring Lemmy's sight on the Mushroom Kingdom's forces.

The army's within a mile from the Pipe Maze's northern entrance, but he's unsure of what lies within the labyrinth. To be fair, he doesn't even know how the complex structure operates.

Lemmy nods as he listens to his latest updates: the Koopa Troop cut the supply line between oil-rich Desert Land and the troops in Dark Land. Also, Pipe Land's king, King Pipeus, demands peace to return to the Land. If Lemmy can get Pipe Land to join its cause, the Land will be under the Koopa Troop's concrete control, whether directly or by proxy.

"Okay, I have a new plan," the small koopaling explained, "You know how Pipe Land's fragmented, right?"

"Duh," Wendy replied.

"Well... We're doing fine so far, but we haven't captured the Pipe Maze yet," Lemmy continued, "And I was thinking of asking Pipeus for an alliance."

"King Pipeus?" this time, Iggy responds from his portable doomship hospital, "Doesn't sound like the best idea. He's very anti-Koopa."

"He's also anti-Mario," Lemmy pointed out, "It's been, what? A week? And Pipe Land's already tired of Mario's rule. Many are openly rebelling, especially in the cities."

"Well... That's totally a sign we want," Wendy nodded, "Especially if the countryside's rebelling also."

"Not sure. I haven't received reports on the less populated areas since they're so spread apart," Lemmy added, "But he might want a deal. It was Mario, not us, that started the war here, so there's that."

"Pipe Land won't survive without oil, and Desert Land, who exports the most oil to Pipe Land, loves Mario," Wendy said, "Pipe Land's economy literally depends on Desert Land."

"We can always offer some from Dark Land," Iggy suggested, "I believe it's... About 6.85 percent of all the oil reserves in the Mushroom Continent is in Dark Land."

"Uhh, right, but we don't have control of Dark Land anymore," Lemmy notes down the statistic, "Ice Land's government's also reluctant in following Mario. They have the second largest oil reserves too, they just hate drilling for it. Something about the environment and glaciers."

"They only do about 1.6 million barrels a day, so that maaaaaay not help Pipeus," Iggy shrugged.

"True, but-" Lemmy rebutted, but he notices commotion involving his troops, the Mushroom Fleet and the Pipe Land Forces, "We're being attacked! IGGY! Are you there?!"

"Y-yeah I am, Lem!" the koopaling panicked, "I was just barely talking to you!"

"Tell Kammy to meet up with Pipeus!" Lemmy commanded, "Me and Wendy need to stay here and command!"

"Roger!"

Lemmy nods before switching the frequency to his ground commanders, "Alpha-9, Delta-5, flank them from the east!"

"Got it," a bold, feminine voice greets Lemmy, "And the magikoopas activated their healing auras!"

"Good," Lemmy confirmed as his serious expression deepens, "Updates from the ground, Pom Pom? Alpha-9 doing fine?"

"We're making strides towards the Maze before we flank from the east. The Mushroomers are losing steam, but we need more supplies."

"I can send some down," Lemmy offered, "Whatcha need?"

"More bullet bills, for one, and maybe a few banzai bills," Pom Pom counted the inventory from her imagination, "We need more microgoombas and super scopes also."

"Noted. I'll get one of the supply drones to you," Lemmy confirmed, "But for now, focus on the Mushroom Army and avoid the Pipelandians, unless they attack you first. We're trying to get a pact going with the Pipelandians."

"Got it," Pom Pom nodded, "While we wait for our microgoombas, can we get a distraction?"

"Paragoombas incoming."

Lemmy's pushes his Paragoomba button, resulting in the creatures pouring out from his doomship and into the Mushroom Kingdom's army below. The small koopaling grins as the Mushroom Kingdom's soldiers swat at the paragoombas with their swords. Not only do they miss, but some even slice or stab their fellow soldiers. With Kammy, Pom Pom and his paragoombas, perhaps this takeover will be easier than he anticipated, but Lemmy still feels this event will only be an appetizer compared to what the future holds.

Thought in mind, he glances at a control panel to the right of the paragoomba button on his dashboard. Jitters overcome him as he reads the "Emergency Arsenal" warning below the panel, knowing full-well the consequences and the mass casualties he'll cause. The environments, livelihoods and families he'll destroy. The koopaling sighs; it's his last resort, but something deep down tells him he'll need to settle towards that option down the road.

Even if fighting against the Mushroomers, he hopes he's wrong. He hopes the battle can stay conventional, but he'd rather kill thousands of Mushroomers through action than kill thousands of his own troops from inaction.

Lemmy abhors the mission. He knew he wouldn't be himself. He couldn't be himself; too many lives depend on him stowing his typical care-free, easy-going and peace-loving personality, and instead depend on a fearless, ferocious façade.

* * *

"Well... Looks like you two had a long night!"

Peach opens her groggy eyes; even in the dank cave, she notices Daisy and Luigi smirking at her. She responds with confusion before realizing her situation: she's still laying her head on Bowser's thigh.

"Ahh!" Peach yelped as she sits up and inhales. She then focuses her stare from the two humans to the now-waking koopa. Peach doesn't regret her behavior last night, but she's also not quite open to Luigi and Daisy knowing about their sudden relationship.

"Uh-huh! Get up, sleepy birds! It's time to get out of this cave!" the Sarasalandian princess clapped her gloved hands near Bowser's face, causing the koopa to open his eyes and groan. Peach looks towards Bowser and gives him a small grin.

"Not the kind of alarm you're used to, right?"

"Tell me about it..." Bowser grumbled before he stands up, stomps towards the fire's remains and ignites one of the spare torches. He gives the torch to Luigi before hoisting the sack over his shoulder.

"You two go along! Peach and I have urgent business to settle!" Daisy exclaimed.

Peach blushes as she watches Luigi light another spare torch, hands it to Daisy and continues down the cave with Bowser. She assumes she knows what Daisy wants to talk to her about, else she wouldn't have shooed Luigi or Bowser away.

"Is this... About..." Peach voiced as she brushes off her dress.

"It is indeed! I know you two had... Weird vibes together, but with this morning, I can finally confirm it now!" Daisy exclaimed, "But let's follow the boys so we don't worry them."

"Umm..." Peach hesitated as she and Daisy walk down the cave path side-by-side, "Fine... Daisy, I... I do have feelings for Bowser."

Curious on how her friend will respond, Peach looks at Daisy, whose ear-to-ear grin's now visible from the torch's light.

"REALLY?!" Daisy shouted in glee, resulting in the two males turning towards her.

"Shhh!" Peach shushed as she covers Daisy's mouth with her glove, "They'll hear us!"

"Okay, sorry!" Daisy lowered her voice to a near-whisper, "So... Gimme the scoop!"

"Well," Peach blushes once again, "I met his family, I heard more of his family's history, and I heard the true reason why he kidnapped me-"

"Which is?!" Daisy interrupted, her wide eyes indicating the curiosity exploding within her.

"He wants me as an example of benevolence, and that he reminds me of his late wife."

Daisy's eyes widen at Peach's claim, "Wait. BOWSER wants benevolence?!"

Peach shrugged, "Surprised me too."

Daisy remains silent after the revelation, instead focusing on crossing another miniature stream carving a small canyon throughout the cave's floor. Peach gets behind Daisy and places her hands and feet in the same grooves the Sarasalandian princess used. Once Peach sees a smoother path and the males far ahead, she approaches Daisy's side.

"So..." Daisy broke her silence, "What do you think you're gonna do, girl? You both know you're from enemy kingdoms."

"That's the main thing I fear about getting in a relationship with him. My parents disappeared and Mario arrested me. Because of that, the toads are suspicious of me. They probably think I'm a traitor, and a public relationship with Bowser would only make things worse," Peach lowers her head and sighs, "I wish the toads knew what I know now of Bowser. He's misguided, but he does terrible things out of good intent. Not that I support those moves, but he isn't some evil tyrant like what we claim in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"You were the same way just weeks ago though," Daisy consoled, "And you were kidnapped, what... At least 10 other times by him?"

"I got to actually know him this time. It just feels right, but our environment just makes everything more confusing. Fate sucks," Peach sighed.

"It does," Daisy nodded, "But let's focus on getting our kingdoms back, first of all. I'm sure the toads will forgive you being with Bowser if you free them from Mario."

"I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right! It's the Daisy way!" Daisy exclaimed, her typical personality now overwhelming her avicidal character present just moments ago, "Now let's get to the others!"

* * *

Alarms blare throughout a doomship's cockpit, garnishing the frightened passengers' distressed screams with affirmed dread. Coupled with a falling sensation, the airship twists in circles; the resulting centripetal acceleration flings unsecured objects towards the plastered walls. The ship's magikoopas perform futile measures to recapture the ship back under the pilot's control, but their magic proves insufficient with respect to the massive aircraft's momentum.

At the wheel, Morton huffs, desperate to calm himself down with deep breaths, but the smoldering ship's fatiguing fumes overtake the cockpit's fresh air and disorients the prince. He helplessly watches the wheel spin from the doomship's haywire actions as shouts emit from the PA system. He tries focusing more on the PA and recognizes the voices from the system coming from both Ludwig and Roy. Morton wants to respond to their helpless cries, but the continuing fumes prevent Morton from executing his actions with intact judgment. Staring at the alarms' flashing red lights and the dashboard's blinking cautions remains his only capability.

Amid the panic, the large koopaling zones out from the perilous setting to his earliest memories. He watches his younger self, carried over the shoulder by Clawdia, enter Bowser's Castle for the first time, followed by his desire to be around her love; she was the only person to care for him. Morton smirks as his younger self groans at a pink-shelled koopa—one he despised at the time—appearing out of nowhere and performing a similar ritual with Clawdia. The scene's time fast forwards to Clawdia's funeral, where Morton observes the same pink-shelled koopa comforting the grey-shelled koopaling's younger self. Due to his age when Clawdia passed on, Morton never grasped the sense of protection and perseverance present in the pink koopaling's eyes—even his shades couldn't hide the dedication. His other older siblings' demeanors showed similar desires at the funeral; from that day on, Morton felt like he belonged in the family.

Morton snaps out of his memories as his ship crashes into the ocean and the doomship's ceiling collapses onto him. As water fills the doomship's cabin, so too does fear well up within the koopaling's eyes: being a desert-minded koopa, he can't swim, and he feels his body lock up as the water rushes in. Panicking, the koopa tries paddling towards a pile of the doomship's flotsam and grabs hold of the debris with both arms, but the ocean's waves prevent the koopaling from keeping his head above the water.

His inhalations transition from air to water as a wave detaches him from the debris. Panicking from his lack of air, Morton claws at the water, but every move he pulled only drags him deeper underwater. As his body fails to obey his mind's commands, Morton begins to feel himself fading from his surroundings. He enters another realm, but not before he feels his presence hoisted out of the water.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: Another one done, and yet another dream. What's the purpose of them?! I guess we'll see!
> 
> By the way, the chemistry displayed here shouldn't be tried at home! Mainly because that experiment won't work in real life. ;)
> 
> Anyway, thank you for all the support I've received so far! Next weekend I'll be gone for work-related travels the next few weeks, so I doubt I'll update anything until late June or July. I'll be back then!


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